National Vigils to Remember Kumanjayi Little Baby
Warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers: this article contains references to and images of someone who has died.
Vigils are scheduled across Australia on Thursday to commemorate a 5-year-old girl, known as Kumanjayi Little Baby for cultural reasons, who was allegedly murdered two weeks ago.
The girl’s body was discovered on 30 April, five days after she went missing from an Aboriginal town camp near Alice Springs.
Jefferson Lewis, 47, has been charged with her murder, an event that triggered riots in Alice Springs amid widespread grief and anger.
The public is invited to participate in candlelit vigils in the Northern Territory town and other state capitals and cities late Thursday afternoon. Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family has encouraged attendees to wear pink, her favourite colour.
The vigil in Alice Springs will take place at the Anzac sports oval at 17:30 local time.
“A space for everyone to channel their grief and show their support to family,”said town mayor Asta Hill in a social media post.
Vigils are also planned in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, and numerous smaller towns.
Community Response and Tributes
On Thursday, the streets of Alice Springs, a town with a population of approximately 30,000, were quiet ahead of the vigil. One resident described the atmosphere as subdued.
Outside the Old Timers Camp, where Kumanjayi Little Baby went missing on 25 April, a growing tribute of flowers, cuddly toys, and messages was placed in front of the chain-link fence.
One message read,
“Our hearts break when we heard you were gone.”Nearby, a large painted pebble bore the message,
“May justice be done.”
Knitted koalas, cuddly toys, candles, and cards accumulated as cars periodically stopped along the busy road. Mourners stepped out to read the tributes, reflect, or add pink gifts to the growing memorial.
Details of Disappearance and Investigation
Kumanjayi Little Baby was last seen when she was put to bed just before midnight at the camp, a government-designated site for Aboriginal people staying in Alice Springs.
She was reported missing several hours later, prompting a large-scale search for the non-verbal child.
Police located her body several kilometres from the camp five days later. Hours after the discovery, Jefferson Lewis, who had been attacked by community members, was arrested and taken to a hospital in Alice Springs for treatment.
A riot erupted outside the hospital, resulting in police arresting five individuals over the violence.
Calls for Calm and Respect for Cultural Protocols
Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family called for calm amid the unrest.
Family member and senior Yapa (Warlpiri) elder Robin Granites urged the public to allow justice to proceed and to respect the family during their period of mourning, known as "sorry business" within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
On Wednesday, three child protection workers were stood down following an investigation into the circumstances preceding Kumanjayi Little Baby’s disappearance and death.
It is important to note that using the names of deceased individuals, or broadcasting their image or voice, breaches cultural protocols around mourning in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and cannot be done without the permission of their families.
