Start of NAIDOC Week

Monday, 05 July, 2004 by Cheryl W. Colan

Settling In

I cannot tell you how exhausted we were when we arrived at the Korrawinga Community Center. After the three or four hour drive from Brisbane to Hervey Bay, we were more or less wiped out. We arrived at the Korrawinga Community Center at sunset, and were greeted by two Aboriginal Elders, Auntie Mally and her older sister, Auntie Rozzi. Mally walked up and kissed me on the cheek and said “welcome.” Rozzi went up to Linda, who had been here a year ago, and said how lovely it was to see her again, and had she brought any more of those long cigarettes? (Linda smokes Virginia Slims.)

Dwayne, one of the Native American students traveling with us, is exceptionally tall, large and very handsome, with the archetypal features of his tribe and traditional long, wavy black hair. The Aunties immediately began to fuss over whether he would actually fit on the cots they were providing us, or whether they should set about looking for a mattress. Their evident amazement was sweet and rather comical.

It was revealed with some embarrassment that they were actually expecting us the next day and weren’t quite ready for us. There is another group staying here, and they have been placed in the cabins that had been meant for us. So that first night cots were hurriedly set up for us in the mess hall. Once we had the cots in place, we made a quick list of breakfast foods and a few of us took the community’s Land Rover in to the closest grocery store while others stayed behind and showered. Shopping was interesting. Many foods are the same brands as we have in the States, but are packaged differently. Nestle sells condensed milk in a tube that looks like toothpaste. No one seems to need more than 8 ounces of peanut butter at a time. I wish I had photographed the store shelves, but I was so tired I wasn’t thinking. When we returned, we put everything away in an area of the fridge set aside for us, brushed our teeth, and went directly to sleep.

Flag Raising

This morning we began the day with a quick breakfast and then went to a flag raising ceremony at Hervey Bay’s city hall. The Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag were raised alongside the Australian national flag. we happened to arrive at the start of NAIDOC week, which is a week of official recognition and reconciliation between the indigenous peoples of Australia and the transplants. Auntie Francis, the Butchulla tribal elder and leader, represented the local Aboriginal community at the ceremony. I felt the Mayor of Hervey Bay could have worked a bit harder on his speech, but overall the ceremony was nice. I think this is only the third year of NAIDOC week, and I still haven’t found out what the acronym means. But I did hear that the flag raising was attended the first year by only twenty people, and this year attendance was about one hundred. Some of the Native Americans with us felt that attendance was very low, but I think the Aboriginal people are about thirty years behind the Native Americans in terms of how they live and what recognition they have won from the national government. After the flag raising we were treated to tea and a migratory bird dance choreographed and performed by Aboriginal children.

Bunnjubl

Back at the Community, a tent had been set up for us to stay in, like a big circus tent. We erected a partition with rope and some sheets so we could have a men’s side and women’s side, and then moved our cots, sleeping bags and supplies out of the mess hall and over to our new home. Then the community’s gift shop was opened up for us. They had several lotions, soaps and lip balms for sale, as well as Aboriginal art. Most of the items were designed for tourists and did not seem particularly meaningful, with the exception of some beautiful didjeridus. An Aboriginal man called Lloyd was answering questions about some of the artwork in the shop, and I learned he was the artist who had made the didjes, though he does not play them. He uses a unique technique to burn in color and designs on his didjes and other artwork.

Lloyd is one of only three living members of his tribe who has received an Aboriginal name. His tribe no longer performs traditional initiations, where most members would receive their name, because of the complications that can arise from the cuts that must be made to create the traditional tribal markings on the body. The only other way to receive a name is to be given one by a tribal elder. Lloyd’s name, Bunnjubl, means “Good Ear.” He had been gathering wood one day with an elder. Lloyd heard something and told the elder there was a kangaroo approaching them from behind. When it appeared a few minutes later, the elder named him Bunnjubl because he had been aware of the ‘roo before the elder heard it.

Herb Walk

We had to go back to the grocery store to stock up on a week’s supply of food. I did not join the group that went, but stayed and hung out near the mess hall, which seems to be a central social gathering place. I lucked out and found Auntie Mally smoking cigarettes at a picnic table. She and I got to talking and before long she was giving me a walking tour of native plants. Early on in the tour we were joined by Auntie Rozzi. They showed me all the useful tree leaves planted along the unpaved main drag of the community lands, including various flavors of tea tree and the lovely lemon scented myrtle. They gave me a tour of the organic gardens, and showed me the communities soap making facilities. The community used to have to send their herbs out for processing, but they recently purchased two distillers so they can now extract their own oils and aromatics.

I got to see the shower area, and a highly poisonous snake they had killed in the showers earlier that day. There are only two showers, both with three walls made of stone, cement floors, and swinging doors that close in the center for privacy. In one shower I counted three wasp’s nests, which I hope are vacant because it’s winter here. The Aunties fed me native raspberries, as well as samples of all kinds of sweet and savory herbs. They showed me a native plant that they eat as a cure for arthritis. My tour ended just about the time the grocery shoppers returned, so I went to help make dinner.

Word of the Day

Dinner’s over and some of the group are playing a game of Uno. I’ve elected to write in my journal. It’s been a day of observing, of listening to another way of life, hearing about other perspectives. I’ve learned a lot. So my word of the day is bunnjubl in honor of my new friend, and in the hope that I develop a good ear during this journey.