A Stolen Generations survivor has hailed his Elders who kept culture alive as government and religious agents attempted to purge Indigenous people of their ancient customs.

Yorta Yorta man Colin Walker, 87, took to the Yoorrook Justice Commission to speak his truth on May 27 about his experience growing up at Cummeragunja on the banks of Dhungalla (Murray River) in the mid 1900s.

Mr Walker was raised by his grandparents after his mum, who he last saw waving from the back of a carriage aged 7, died early in his life.

His upbringing was one of internal conflict - controlled by the Aboriginal Protection Board but still raised with cultural practices in mind.

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"(My grandparents were) great people, and they were very spiritual," Mr Walker said.

"Most of our Elders at Cummeragunja, or all of them was very spiritual people and happy people and learnt us a lot.

"(They taught us to) respect our culture, respect for one another, and for families... we had to - because we was all one living on missions."

Mr Walker's truth revealed a life for Indigenous people at Cummeragunja akin to being cogs in a wheel.

He spoke of residents' longing to hear the bell ring which signified rations of tea, sugar and flour for the fortnight had arrived.

The overbearing eye kept on comers and goers was a particular sticking point for many in the community.

"We were controlled by the managers that lived there," Mr Walker said.

"And if you come to stay on the mission at, say, Cummeragunja - probably at others too - that you had to go and sign with a paper to say were you staying with your mum and dad.

"So when you think about it today, how disgusting that was, that you had to do that."

Fast forward to 2022 and Mr Walker still lives at Cummeragunja with his wife of 67 years, Wiradjuri woman Faye Walker.

Together they raised two daughters and three boys, two of whom died young.

Mr Walker has used his life experience to champion the passage of knowledge to youth, help at-risk people go through the Koori Court system, teach men culture and respect, and advocate for women's safety.

They are attributes which can be traced back to Mr Walker's upbringing at Cummeragunja, where Elders still held authority despite government control.

"If a young woman was in trouble, didn't want to stay there or fell out with someone, the mothers and the aunties would get together and walk with that young girl and bring her back," he said.

"You dare not hit your partner or your wife because your uncles were there and your aunties, you had to face them.

"I think that kept us in line as young men when we was growing up. We knew our law was there."

https://www.nit.com.au/systemic-injustices-not-confined-to-history-minister-tells-yoorrook-justice-commission/

As for the system today, Mr Walker is highly critical.

Two of his nieces - Tanya Day and Veronica Nelson - have died in prison, both due to medical issues.

"It never happened in our days because our mothers and our grandparents and the aunties protected them young women before they got there," he said.

"But now today, the system, it's shot to pieces.

"Our young women dying in cells. Why? A lot of it's medical issues, not a police issue."

He also revealed his pain at being called a liar when offering up his wealth of knowledge to support the Yorta Yorta native title claim, knowledge which had been passed to Mr Walker by his Elders on the mission.

Mr Walker said he had often been asked by young people why his experiences had not left him bitter.

He said his drive to pass knowledge on about the lessons learned - and hardships endured - on the mission kept him in good spirits.

There is great hope for the future too, Mr Walker believes, pointing to the work young women are doing today to "put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle" back together to rebuild culture and language.