In The Black Pearle, proud Ballardong Noongar woman Tracey Kickett and sister Audrey Narkle Nettle share the story of their mother, Pearle — a Stolen Generations survivor whose life was shaped by removal, displacement and extraordinary strength.
Taken to Moore River Settlement as a child, Pearle later made her way to the York Reserve, where she met the man who would become her husband. Their early life together was marked by hardship: the politics of kinship, food scarcity, and the challenge of raising a growing family while navigating community expectations and survival on Country. Already a mother of four, Pearle stood up for herself on the reserve and made the courageous decision to leave, going to the Narkle family block in York.
Her strength was met with solidarity. Her husband supported her stand, and together they returned to the York Reserve, choosing family, love and responsibility in the face of adversity. Together they built a family of six more children — and he embraced and raised all ten as his own.
This is truth-telling through family story: a deeply human account of love, resilience and determination in the face of systems that sought to break Aboriginal families apart. Tracey’s telling honours her mother’s strength and offers a powerful example of survival, kinship and reconciliation in action.
