The Connections Walk to celebrate NAIDOC Week and to ‘Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud’ last Thursday was another success.
Photo by
Les_Garbutt
Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the community remain committed to keeping their proud culture and history alive which was very much on display at the Connections Walk and community celebrations held last week.
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This year the national theme of NAIDOC week was ‘Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud’, honouring the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
In a late celebration of NAIDOC week so school children, the next mob, could be in attendance, Many Mobs Indigenous Corporation in collaboration with Yarrawonga Health, Moira Shire Council and a number of local schools came together to take part in a Connections walk across the Yarrawonga Mulwala traffic bridge as well as community celebrations at Kennedy Park.
A great number of people took part in a healing smoking ceremony with Uncle Eric and Uncle Lance asking all to come and allow the smoke to heal and open up awareness to cultural learning before joining the connections walk and making their way along the Yarrawonga Foreshore and down to Kennedy Park.
Yarrawonga Health Volunteer Co-Ordinator Jo Spence spoke about how proud Yarrawonga Health is to have been able to continue this celebration with Many Mobs for the past seven years. How wonderful it is that the community, schools and kindergartens are so supportive and the commitment that Yarrawonga Health has to reconciliation with all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“This is an event that has occurred for several years and it brings some education to our community about our local indigenous people how they connect with them on a real local basis,” Ms Spence said.
“But it also starts to broaden our community out to the schools so younger people, people that have never had any connection or experience with indigenous people to come together and share some of these experiences together.
“Many Mobs and Yarrawonga Health have had a long relationship. Currently we support Many Mobs with their yarn ups once a month on the third Monday of every month held at the CWA Hall.
“The health service will also provide any information specific to indigenous health that might be happening at the time.”
Moira Shire Chair Administrator Graeme Emonson also spoke of the shire’s commitment to supporting Many Mobs and local indigenous peoples in sharing their culture.
Students from Mulwala Primary School enjoyed the activities on offer, learning about the local Indigenous culture.
Photo by
Les_Garbutt
Students from Yarrawonga College P-12 provided the entertainment, performing two dances that they have been learning with funding that Many Mobs received from Moira Shire.
Teacher Kiarra and Jake from Gallawah Foundation came to the school over the past two months to teach First Nations students the Emu and Eagle dances.
Many Mobs Indigenous Corporation Co-Founder and CEO Aunty Iris Troutman opened official proceedings and thanked all those for coming along and celebrating the indigenous history and culture.
“We recognise the ancestors of the land here, the Bangerang and Yorta Yorta tribes of Yarrawonga Mulwala,” Aunty Iris said.
“The Murray River is not a state border to our people, it is a highway for every tribe to pass through. So, we gather to pay our respects to Miss Ross Hill, the burial place of the Bangarang people, the people of the tall trees.
“When we walk this bridge, I want everyone to remember the footprints that will walk before you, every single one of them and that was from our ancestors.
“Today is about making connections and learning from our people.
“We’re going to have a better future. It means our stories are going to be told in the future and our fire will keep burning.”
Some lunch, fun and games then ensued after the formalities with the 200+ school and kindergarten children treated to some face painting and shared some cultural awareness information by Rebecca from Treaty for Victoria whilst NCN Health provided some activities painting animal cutouts and Tim Roadley from Bunnings Yarrawonga helped the school students and adults in attendance in making and painting clap sticks which filled the air with melodic sounds.
The day was another success in sharing and connecting, being thoroughly enjoyed by students, teachers and all involved.
The Many Mobs Indigenous Corporation looks forward to their next event on the Yarrawonga foreshore on October 12.
