Helen (Ing) Nellie is a Wirlomin Noongar Elder. She was born on the outskirts of Borden, a hamlet in WA’s south west. She believes she was born on 18 July 1947, although she doesn’t possess a birth certificate. A member of the Stolen Generations, Ing’s life is a mosaic of tragedy. Forcibly removed from her parents at five years and again aged nine under government policy, she was raised in a Baptist Mission. Ing grew up caught between cultures. She struggled with her identity, but her involvement in the Wirlomin Language and Stories Project, and the telling of her life story, has cultivated true belonging within the Aboriginal community. Ing lives in Perth with her husband, Ron.