Gnowangerup elder Ezzard Flowers launches new book No Longer a Wandering Spirit at Katanning Library

A book that reclaims the life of Menang woman Bessy Flowers, who lived in Albany in the mid-1800s, was launched at Katanning Library on Wednesday. Written by Gnowangerup Indigenous elder Ezzard Flowers and Dr Sharon Huebner, No Longer a Wandering Spirit tells the story of Bessy Flowers, who was removed from her family to a mission in Victoria, and how her descendants from around Australia came together to unearth her story. Part of Katanning’s NAIDOC week celebrations, the launch began with a documentary about Bessy’s life and the family’s journey of reconnecting with their identity. After discussing the book and answering questions from the audience, Mr Flowers signed copies and took photos with patrons before joining them for tea, coffee and bush tucker provided by the Jeert Mia Aboriginal Corporation. A survivor of the Stolen Generation, Mr Flowers — like Bessy — was moved between missions and said their similar stories empowered him to write the book. “The book is filling in gaps in the documentary, especially with the similarities between her story and mine,” he said. “Even though she moved from Albany to Victoria, I moved all around WA from Moore River to Kalgoorlie then down to Esperance before I was allowed to return home to Gnowangerup.” Mr Flowers said the book is about his family’s connection to the east of Australia, following different individual connections through a shared cultural understanding. “The book is all about intense and internal emotion, of lost segregation and spiritual and physical resilience, not only as individuals but as a culture.“ Through Mr Flowers’ narration, Dr Huebner provided the opportunity to acknowledge Bessy’s family history. “The best way I could get people to connect with and understand this history and how Bessy brought our family together, was for somebody else to write it with my blessings.