Sweet Child of Mine

2005
I'll be the One



A well-known Larrakia singer and community leader in Darwin, Northern Territory, June Mills blends country and western with her Phillipino/East Timorese musical heritage through use of organ, vocals and acoustic guitar. In her song “Sweet Child of Mine” on her albumI’ll Be the One (2005) she sings of the sorrow of the mother who hopes her child will remember her family and her identity. The song also emphasizes the loss of language, culture, and identity of children who were forcibly removed from their families.
The impact of the Stolen Generation policies has left its mark on Mills’ family as her grandmother was taken from her family when she was 6 years old. Mills states, “My grandmother was taken away from her tribal country when she was about 6 years old and given a new name. She grew up in Katherine and had nine children, she gave birth to all her children at home on her own. She eventually found her way back to her tribe and land of birth by repeating her tribal name to herself every night before she went to bed. She did this so she would not forget her birth name.”
“Singing Trauma Trails”: Songs of the Stolen Generations