Last Of His Tribe (Noonuccal)

Question 1

Themes:

Answer 1

• power through colonisation (displaced in own country)
• identity through country (lost sense of belonging)
• stolen generation
  (Taken and isolated from families : tribes discontinues — wiped dry)

Question 2

Tone:

Answer 2

• melancholic
  (Grief & mourning
• reflective?

Question 3

Rhyme scheme?

Answer 3

No rhyme scheme
* free verse
* conveys specific message

Question 4

Subjects:

Answer 4

1st person : Noonuccal
2nd person: Mackenzie

Insight into relationship with uncle: EMPATHY
1. Personal
2. Intimate
3. Meaningful

Question 5

Elegy: about uncle (Willie Mackenzie)

Answer 5

Outlived attack
* desperately trying to keep his legacy alive

Tribal & Aboriginal knowledge leaves with his death
- cultural inheritances starts to disuntergrate

Question 6

Colonisation:

Answer 6

Integration of cultures: grief & sorrow
(Tradition not valued)

Question 7

Colonisation:

Answer 7

Integration of cultures: grief & sorrow
(Tradition not valued)

Question 8

Poem main ideas/ themes

Answer 8

1. Culture
2. Belief
3. Identity

Question 9

Stanza breakdown:

Answer 9

1. Takes back to before colonisation: tribe
2. What !Mackenzie once was : legacy
3. Current life before death

Question 10

White Europeans abolished:

Answer 10

Tribe
Culture
Dignity

Question 11

Caesura:

Answer 11

Immediate interruption in middle of sentence/ idea (.)

Question 12

“Change is the law”

Answer 12

European settlers: SUPERIOR
no choice
No say
MUST ACCEPT CONDITIONS

Question 13

“I look at you and I am back in the long ago”

Answer 13

New gov overthrows aboriginal ruling
-nostalgia and heartbreak over what once was and thriving

Question 14

“Lonely” “lost”

Answer 14

Diction: sadness & entrapment (displaced)

Question 15

“Last of your clan”

Answer 15

Isolated : emphasises Disbelief
- Mackenzie is the last symbol and element of the clan

Question 16

“You” anaphora

Answer 16

Familial intimacy
-PERSONAL element: his importance
- tragedy: never will be the same again

Question 17

Enjambement

Answer 17

Loneliness
- current , sudden disruption

IS // WAS

Question 18

“I asked and you let me hear”

Answer 18

Insight into traditional stories
Oral tradition

Question 19

“The soft vowelly tongue to be heard now.”

Answer 19

British/ colonial influence

Mackenzie : soft & caring nature — maintains his humility
Without consent : lost everything!

Native language can be translated into english

Question 20

For // ever

Answer 20

Split: colonisation

Question 21

Boomerang & Spear

Answer 21

Battle weapon —-> souvenir

Question 22

“You singer of ancient tribal songs”

Answer 22

Rich cultural heritage: life and pride

Question 23

“Corroboree”

Answer 23

Jargon : aboriginal dance ceremony

Question 24

“You twice in fierce tribal fights”

Answer 24

Never stopped fighting for legacy : conveys intimate message

Question 25

With wild

Answer 25

Alliteration:
Strength & bravery

Question 26

Sudden Sting

Answer 26

Sibilance:
Nobody knows him — no one can empathise / understand

Identity = DIGNITY

Question 27

“Lonely in teeming city crowds”

Answer 27

Imagery: evokes empathy for mackenzie

Question 28

“Lonely”
“Crowds”

Answer 28

PARADOX
everything that once was, is lost

Question 29

“Last of your tribe”

Answer 29

Emphasis of tragedy: relays back to title

Immediate & heartbreaking
* remaining aboriginal life will never be same again

• Mackenzie dies with wisdom
  (Current, sudden, disruption)

Question 30

Looking at the various poetic devices used in the poem, explain how Noonuccal creates a sorrowful and regretful mood.

Answer 30

Noonuccal creates a sorrowful and regretful mood through imagery, repetition, and a reflective tone. Phrases like “all gone, all gone” and “lonely and lost” highlight isolation and loss, underscoring the irreversible disappearance of culture and community.

Question 31

Refer to line 3: “Old pinaroo lonely and lost here.”
What does ‘old pinaroo’ refer to in the context of the poem?

Answer 31

“Old pinaroo” refers to a OLD MAN / LEADER solitary survivor—the last of his tribe. It emphasizes Willie Mackenzie’s isolation as the only remaining link to his lost culture.

Question 32

Refer to lines 11 - 16: “The soft vowelly…in the corroboree.”
Account for the use of ‘soft vowelly tongue’, ‘Boomerang and spear’ and ‘You leader once in the corroboree.’

Answer 32

Soft vowelly tongue” highlights the uniqueness of Willie’s fading language. (British influence)
• “Boomerang and spear” symbolize traditional Aboriginal tools and survival skills.
• “Leader once in the corroboree” shows his past significance in his community, now lost.

Question 33

Refer to lines 22 - 23: “Displaced person…city crowds.”
Comment on the use of paradox in these lines.

Answer 33

The paradox in these lines lies in the idea of being a “displaced person” in one’s own land and feeling “lonely in teeming city crowds.” Although Mackenzie is in his native country, colonization and cultural erosion have left him feeling alienated. The juxtaposition of “lonely” with “teeming city crowds” emphasizes his disconnection from the bustling, modern world around him, as he remains detached from the culture that now dominates his homeland. This paradox underscores the tragic reality of colonization, where indigenous people feel like strangers in the very land that once held their traditions and identity.