Before the earth begins to stir, people were preparing for the day.
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A day of significance, of mixed emotions — of profound sadness, and loss, but also survival.
Being still here.
For many, a day of learning, of reflection, of deeper understanding.
January 26 – Invasion Day, Day of Mourning, Survival Day.
The gentle darkness providing space for quiet reflection as people walked, rode and drove.
Some alone, some together, some from short distances, others from communities further afield.
A coming together. In Mooroopna.
The destination beside a majestic river — Kaiela — whose waters have flowed northwards for millennia.
On Kaieltheban land.
Kaieltheban — one of the clans of the Yorta Yorta Nation.
Freshwater people.
People who have lived on and tended this land, for countless generations, since time immemorial.
And in the pre-dawn stillness, people slowly, quietly, making their way to the circle. Settling in, breathing in the stillness of the bush.
Overhead, the sliver of moon bearing witness to this gathering.
The tops of trees seeming to lean in, creating a special space.
The ceremonial circle waiting — waiting to be part of the telling of a story.
Of a sharing of a different perspective of an arrival on Gadigal lands 237 years ago.
Of the aftermath of that momentous day.
Of the time when this land and people were changed for ever.
Of the ongoing repercussions of the taking of land.
The clap stick sounds, haunting, echoing through the trees — followed by a plaintive cry.
A calling of the spirits — the Old People who bore witness to all that went before.
The yidaki’s sound hanging in the air.
Words in an ancient language, their presence reflecting a strength and determination to pass on this knowledge.
As if the spirits of the past were joining us.
Stories told in the evocative lament of the songman and yidaki player.
Told in dance — traditional ways of narration.
Words welcoming us to this special place.
Words telling us about the significance of this day.
The sky lightens, birds stir, their calls hanging in the air.
The swoop of cockatoos, the dawn chorus of kookaburras.
A slight breeze gently moving the tops of the trees.
The sticks and leaves of the mighty river redgums gathered ready for the fire.
The fire — such a central part of Culture — in the middle of the ceremonial circle.
A connection to ceremonies of the past.
The flames slowly give way to the white, cleansing smoke drifting upwards.
Then the invitation — to come forward to allow the smoke to wash over, to heal — generously offered to everyone present.
A bringing of those gathered in the newly dawning day into a special shared space, to listen, to reflect, to find a deeper understanding.
Reminding us all that sovereignty of these lands and waters was never ceded.
Reminding us of the sacredness of the connection to this land and this river, connections that bind us to the past as they do to today and the future.
It was a time to listen, to hear.
To hear the pain, the loss and the whispers of the spirits of Country.
Yorta Yorta singer Scott Darlow adding his words to the narration:
“They’ve been stealing our sacred dreams for the longest time.
They’ve been taking our homes all for the bottom line” *
A time to hear the tales of leadership, strength, endurance and determination.
To acknowledge this resilience and survival in the face of almost overwhelming and systematic injustices
To hear the story of how, 87 years ago, Aboriginal leaders declared the date — January 26 — to be the Day of Mourning.
A day that represented generations of loss — and continues to do so today.
How these past leaders continue to inspire and guide the leaders of today.
To hear of the deep hurt felt at the recent council decision to reinstate Australia Day celebration events on January 26.
A time to stand and reflect in silence on this decision, taken so quickly, with little apparent consideration for its profound repercussions.
Trying to imagine how we would feel if the frontier massacres, dispossession, racism, and inequalities had happened to us, our communities, our families, our children.
And then to be asked to celebrate on this day as a way of ‘healing’.
Recognising that this disappointment was not just limited to First Nations, but many others in the community.
Then the most humbling offering to those non-Aboriginal people attending — the acknowledgement that “you are with us, part of us”.
The generosity of these words was breathtaking and deeply moving.
So as the fingers of sunlight crept through the trees and the rest of the day beckoned, it was time to leave.
To take away the experience of sharing, the experience of generosity and the experience of connection.
All offered with heart.
And to understand that this is the foundation needed for us all to work together towards a more just and unified nation.
* Words from Scott Darlow’s song Deadly Heart.
To find out more about the Shepparton Region Reconciliation Group, go to our Facebook page at tinyurl.com/mr3bz322.
To join more than 60,000 people who have signed the petition asking for a date that all can celebrate, go to tinyurl.com/yhuvfy3a.
To find out more about the Day of Mourning, go to tinyurl.com/kua2usp8.
Reconciliation column