"A Call to The Griqua Nation"

"My children, my people, hear me from beyond the veil of time. I, Adam Kok III, once led our nation across rivers, over mountains, and through hardship, seeking a land where we could be free. Yet even in the lands we tamed, the lands we bled for, the greed of others followed us, stripping away what was rightfully ours.

They called us wanderers, yet it was not we who wished to roam—it was their hunger for land that drove us away. They promised treaties, but those papers turned to dust when the gold and diamonds shone brighter in their eyes. I led you to Griqualand East, believing we could stand firm, but even then, they came with their laws and their might, forcing us to surrender our home again.

But I tell you now—we have not finished our story. The Griqua name lives. Our culture, our identity, and our spirit remain alive with me. If I could rise, I would tell you to stand tall, to remember who you are. Reclaim what is yours, not just in land, but in pride, heritage, and the beating hearts of our descendants.

Let’s not let my struggles be in vain. Let the Griqua people be recognized, not as shadows of history, but as a nation still walking upon this land. Teach your children the stories of their forefathers. Speak our language, revive our traditions, and restore our legacy. I do not weep from my grave, for I see you still fighting. But I ask you, will you let others write our end, or will you rise and make them remember the name of the Griqua?"

-Charmaine Gilmore