On Australia Day, Thursday 26 January 2012, I attended Belgrave Survival Day.
This annual event celebrates indigenous culture though music, traditional dance and story telling.
It was an enlightening event for me - a significant and joyous occasion.
Here Wurundjeri Elder, Uncle Bill Nicholson addresses the crowd:
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James Simon and partner reflecting on Uncle Bill's speech:
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© Barbara Oehring 2012 |
A traditional Smoking Ceremony to cleanse, renew and connect people to country:
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| © Barbara Oehring 2012 |
Members of Jindi Worobak Dance Group:
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| © Barbara Oehring 2012 |
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| © Barbara Oehring 2012 |
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| © Barbara Oehring 2012 |
Gnarnayarrahe Waitairie, singer, didgeridoo performer, dancer and story teller:
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| © Barbara Oehring 2012 |
Big and small joining in:
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© Barbara Oehring 2012
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Response to this post by Ray Higgs:
ReplyDelete"For me, Barbara's photos stirred me to reflect on the relevance of Survival Day: to realise that our nation of Australia was founded on, and flourishes because of the violence and theft that is invasion. They reveal the need for honesty, humility, healing and reconciliation.
From the speeches on that day, one line stands out, "Silence only aids the oppressor, never the oppressed". Barbara is speaking up through her pictures, because 'a picture paints a thousand words'. Barbara's are no exception."