Alive for a moment on Wanguri earth

Many thanks to my Wanguri friends who shared their homeland at Dhalinybuy for a few short days while celebrating the recent translation of Mark's Gospel.

Wanguri Church leaders, translators and the UCA Northern Synod Moderator

Visiting Dhalinybuy was a much needed interlude, a chance to simply live and experience true fellowship among some treasured Yolngu peace makers.

Gospel of Mark translated into Wanguri Language

The people came down to the river for baptism... by the dozens!

 

Translators present Wanguri leaders with their work

 

We all jump in

Holy Communion of Ngathu (cycad nut) bread and Yirritja guku (honey)

Once again I am posting a few random photos from days spent in a special place which my words fail to describe. Long Live the Homeland Movement!

Talking to a brick wall - Political Stuff

Blogging politics...
It's funny this blog hasn't really been a platform for making political comment... at least I don't think it has. But a lot of my life seems engulfed by political issues that I can't escape from. My work and personal interests have made political issues an inevitable and unavoidable part of my life. The people I work with and for are directly affected by an enforced occupation of their land by a government that has never legitimized their presence in the form of any treaty or legally acknowledged process of acquisition. Their laws and customs have been interfered with at virtually every level. Traditional systems of governance that once maintained social harmony and balance are continually interfered with and they are blamed for the resulting dysfunction and accused of being unable to adapt!


The Federal Intervention into Indigenous Communities in the NT which even suspended the racial discrimination Act just so the government could completely take over Aboriginal communities was recenly perpetuated by legislation known as the Stronger Futures Bill. The Australian People barely batted an eyelid why should they care, since the laws only apply to Indigenous people. The average Ausie probably doesn't think their lives could possibly be affected by such discriminatory laws.

About a year ago A group of prominent Yolngu leaders from East, West and Central Arnhem Land got jack of being screwed around and so they formed theYolngu Nations Assembly known in Yolngu matha as (Yolnguw Makarr-Dhuni).
Last week in Maningrida the Makarr Dhuni gathered for a second annual meeting and have made a media statement which can be read HERE on the Blog Cultural Worlds, It's not likely they will get the media attention they deserve.

Last weekend representatives of Makarr-Dhuni met with the NT Chief Minister Terry Mills:

They made a formal statement on the following subjects:

• SHIRES AND COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE
• HOMELANDS AND THE “HUB TOWNS” MODEL
• HOUSING AND LEASES
• CHILD NEGLECT
• ALCOHOL
• EDUCATION
• RELATIONSHIP WITH NT GOVERNMENT AND POLICE

Here's what they had to say about STRONGER FUTURES:

"We want self-determination. We want democracy. We want the power of the people in Arnhem Land and in all Aboriginal communities to be recognised and our rights respected.
We want the Intervention to be thrown out, and we want the Northern Territory Government to lobby the Federal Government on our behalf. The Federal Government must start to listen to the voices on the ground. No more deception, no more lies, we want the Intervention out now and self-determination to be taken seriously.

We never consented to this law, and we were never asked if we wanted the continuation and extension of these laws under the deceptively named “Stronger Futures” Act. We will not tolerate this bullying and it is no way to treat human beings. We are being led around like dogs on a lead with the Basics Card, compulsory acquisition of our land, police coming into our houses without a warrant, and having our law disqualified from recognition or consideration in court.
All this was done and continues to be done under the lie that we are hiding pedophiles and that child abuse comes from our culture. This is disrespectful, slanderous and fundamentally untrue. It is undermining our law, our culture and our whole identity. All this so Government can get legitimacy to take over our communities.
We demand an apology from the Federal Government.
We have our own system of law to prevent disagreements from escalating. We keep peace and order through good governance and we have very serious and consistent ways of teaching respect and discipline to all our young people. We have ways of dealing with people who have broken the law that means they are not a threat to the community while they are taught responsibility and maturity. These processes are being eroded through community disempowerment and Government attacks on our legitimacy as leaders and our society as a whole."

Yolŋuw Makarr Dhuni (Yolŋu Nations Assembly)

Statement from the second assembly

Maningrida: October 11^th – 13^th, 2012.

Yolŋuw Makarr Dhuni represents the people of eight nations in the Western, Central and East Arnhem Land areas of the Northern Territory:

Miwatj, Laynha, Raminy, Marthakal, Garriny, Gumurr-Rawarraŋ, Gaṯtjirrik and Miḏiyirrk

With thanks to Cultural Worlds

'The road to my survival'

Stressed... I left work two weeks ago for some Time-Out!

Well a rather intensive week at Dhudupu Galiwin'ku, but sleeping under the stars and surrounded by some pretty special people, followed by a week in the bush with my wife and kids.

Before I left I was feeling crowded but isolated. Agitated by people and desperate for solitude, it's kind of ironic that I would spend the whole two weeks amongst people who, if I try to find the most accurate relational term to describe them, are, My Clan... A week amongst adopted Yolngu family, three days with just my wife and kids and then another three days amongst a strange and varied group of people, with whom I share the most critical of bonds! Amongst my own kind.

Magic happened while I was away... I needed it to! Somehow being on the land with the people of the land and with my own kind, fresh air, a fire, time space, sleep, peace... I am human!
I don't know how long the feeling will last but I know where to find 'The road to my survival'!


There's nothing much on my mind to write about but I thought I'd share a little whimsical excursion my mind took recently.

I've got this friend and lately I've been watching her behavior. I saw her over the weekend and couldn't help wondering if she's insane or maybe she's blessed or something else more obvious to the casual observer..?

This past weekend I have watched her glide about, her attitude was for giving, always inviting the lonely ones, the outsiders the most destitute and desperate... She always seems to be there, Available. Somehow as I watched her the tune of a song started up in my mind... It was 'Duncan' by Paul Simon. Boys are often lost and men can become destitute as Duncan, Broken spirits are revived and confidence returned when Eros visits. There's always a chance an Angel may visit.

With the tune of Duncan on my mind for the past couple of days I had to look it up on Youtube and discovered some more magic. I love to hear Paul Simon sing this song but something special jumped out at me while watching this version!

A film to watch

A pre-release nearly completed version of The film 'Our Generation' was screened in Nightcliff back in March. With only a few days notice well over 100 people turned up to see the film and take part in a public discussion relating to the Federal Intervention in Aboriginal Communities.

The film has since been officially released and the producers have taken it on tour along with guest speakers such as Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra who expresses his views throughout the film. This film questions the motives behind Federal Intervention and challenges Australia's treatment of Aboriginal people.

I haven't seen the film on the shelves at the video library, it may never appear in the mainstream but you can purchase a copy via the Our Generation Website  It's well worth watching.