Passing on the Stories of the Central Desert of Australia

Women's Story

Among the Central Desert tribes of Australia, the passing on of the Dreaming story is for the most part gender-related.

For example, the late artist from the Papunya movement, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, painted ceremonial dreaming's relating to circumcision and love stories, and lessons for "naughty boys".

His daughters Gabriella Possum and Michelle Possum have tended to paint the "Seven Sisters" Dreaming or the Pleiades, as they inherited that Dreaming through the maternal line. Consequently, they have painted their "Grandmother's Country", which is an expression of their inherited ownership of the land through knowledge of the dreamings.

Clifford and his daughters have not painted the same subjects; Clifford has never painted the "Seven Sisters Dreaming". By tribal law, his daughters are not allowed to see male tribal ceremonies, let alone paint them.   Source Wiki

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Cedar Point Ceremony place is now under serious threat.

Cedar Point is near Kyogle Northern New South Wales.  It is located just South of Kyogle, on the Summerland way where the Bentley road, from Lismore, joins Summerland way.

Its a known as an initiation site, a traditional initiation site  of the Githabul / Gullibul original  people/men who were the custodians of the area.   Cedar Point is threatened by mining's little brother - quarrying.  They want to build a quarry on an area that the traditional owners have not given the government proper cultural approval from the real custodians of that area.

The issue has been looming for a few years now but lately a road has been cut into the area and it is now on Red Alert that damage will ensue if this company is not stopped and the truth of the illegal entry sorted out.

Image Phoebe Hoogendyk

From: 'Nimbin Goodtimes' front page article - Jan. 2013 edition.

Githabul make a stand at Cedar Point Githabal spokesperson, Rob Williams Snr, made it clear that the site was too sacred to be mined, inextricably linked to men’s health and essential in resurrecting ancient lore and culture.  He said it was from this site that the Githabal intend to teach their young men language, bring back their songs and ceremonies and communicate with the spiritual guardians of this sacred place.

Rob was adamant that mining was not negotiable. The offense doesn’t stop on site. Rob is aware, and has seen statutory declarations confirming that sacred objects and tools, which belong to the site in- perpetuity, were removed.

The Githabul demand their immediate return. This removal off-country is not only a cultural affront of the highest order, it has directly affected and accelerated the passage and approval of this mining development. The absence of these original artifacts is crucial and taints all processes and assumptions that followed.

Image by Binnah Pownall

30th March 2016 (by Binnah Pownall)

CULTURAL HERITAGE IN DANGER OF DESTRUCTION
...as work has started to prepare for the proposed quarry on a traditional tribal men's initiation site at Cedar Point, just south of Kyogle.
A road has been cut into the hill to gain truck access to the top of the hill where the quarry is proposed.

There is a determined group of people supporting the Githabul people in ensuring this cultural destruction does not go ahead. By rights, the cutting of that road should have at least been overseen by a cultural sites officer.
Scroll down below to catch up on past history.

Please pass this notification onto those who are interested in helping to preserve the all important ORIGINAL CULTURE OF THIS COUNTRY.  Stand by - a meeting will be called soon.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

How does one say “Goodbye” to a Magnificent Woman Elder?

I am writing to let you know that my darling Yipi (Mum,...
Posted by Kapululangu Aboriginal Women's Association on Monday, 21 September 2015

Protocols on Country .... are they ancient or a business proposition!

This question has come up to me a few times and its a funny subject and while I have no qualms about participating in Welcome to Country or Acknowledging Country protocols it is interesting to examine this practice a little more closely given the light of things that communities are facing out west and in many states of Australia with the closure of their communities.

Are those who do these ceremonies about of the Recognise Movement.  If they are then it is highly likely it is a custom to ask for that much money and for this to  occur like this as a ASIC venture way back.  I think that there needs to be a better story regarding this and I would like to know what a tradidional welcome was like as apposed to this sort of white man invention to make it look good if that is all it is.

The ball is clearly a line ball here as both sides have fair arguments for how it is.  To read more about this go to Wiki and read about how Ernie Dingo says it is made up and then read the other arguments for and against and about the pricing of this ceremony.   :LINK:

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Corroboree is along the Principal of Connection in Natural Law.

Corroboree is ceremony and it is the 'principal of connection'.   As above so below so below as above... Everything is a microcosm of the macrocosm and relational and there in ongoing connection

 There are SEVEN principals of TRUTH or Natural Law that enable us to fathom the world in which we live and to do this without fear.  We have been short changed on this aspect though for a long time

When there is understanding that what happens to the planet happens to us at the same time and what happens to us happens to the planet - the two are one and the same ....then you might just be getting it.

But until this point becomes as clear as bright sun shiny day it will be all just a garbled sentence of double dutch.

This is not my concern anymore to try to make others understand, its every man for himself now as we meet the creator of the universe on our own terms and take the planet back from the psychopaths who have ruled over humanity for tens of decades motivated by greed and brutality through a currency of lies and deceit.

If you deal in TRUTH what I am saying here now will resonate strongly with you. You will know. The enemy (mining and govt) will stop at nothing to avert this inevitable change that is coming. Turning family against family and friend against friend and neighbor against neighbour.

They will poison peoples minds the same way as they poison the Rivers and catchment areas and basins.

It is a fallacy to believe we will destroy the Earth, we can't.  That isn't how it happens --- If we continue the way we are we will destroy our ability to live on the earth, but we will not destroy the earth, she will regenerate, something can never become nothing.

If you want the Mining companies to leave then simply see them going,  stand on the planet where you are and take back your true power and feel her energy.  This is love energy.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Beltane or Beltain /ˈbɛlteɪn/ (also Beltine or Beltaine) is the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on 30 April –1 May, or halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It was observed in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Irish it is Bealtaine ([ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠənʲə]), in Scottish Gaelic Bealltainn ([ˈpjaul̪ˠt̪ˠɪɲ]) and in Manx Gaelic Boaltinn or Boaldyn. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals; along with Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasadh.

Beltane is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and it is associated with important events in Irish mythology. It marked the beginning of summer and was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to encourage growth.

Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The people and their cattle would walk around the bonfire, or between two bonfires, and sometimes leap over flames or embers. All household fires would be doused and then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire.

Doors, windows, byres and the cattle themselves would be decorated with yellow May flowers, perhaps because they evoked fire. In parts of Ireland, people would make a May Bush; a thorn bush decorated with flowers, ribbons and bright shells.

Holy wells were also visited, while Beltane dew was thought to bring beauty and maintain youthfulness. Many of these customs were part of May Day or Midsummer festivals in other parts of Great Britain and Europe.

As a festival, Beltane had largely died-out by the mid-20th century, although some of its customs continued and in some places it has been revived as a cultural event. Since the latter 20th century, Celtic neopagans and Wiccans have observed Beltane, or something based on Beltane, as a religious holiday. Neopagans in the Southern Hemisphere often celebrate Beltane at the other end of the year (~31 October–1 November). From Wiki
 
Images @ Eminpee Fotography

The practices of modern Druids

At Dawn in Urunga by the rivers

 The practices of modern Druids typically take place outside, in the daylight, in what is described as "the eye of the sun". In some cases, they instead perform their rites indoors, or during the night. Most Druids perform ceremonies within a circle around an altar or central fire. Neo-druids often meet and practice in groups called variously "groves" or "henges."

Sometimes they meet at stone circles and other megaliths which are pre-Celtic, but which since the romantic revival have been associated in the popular imagination with the ancient druids. At the Summer solstice, a Neo-druidic ritual is notably held at Stonehenge in England. Another particularly sacred place is Glastonbury in southern England. In parts of the world beyond the range of the original Celtic tribes in Europe and the pre-Celtic megalithic cultures, modern Druids seek an understanding of the sacred qualities of landscape and place^.

When performing rituals, some modern Druids wear ceremonial cloaks and robes, which in some cases imitate the Iron Age style of the Celts. In some orders, robes or tabards of different colors are used to indicate the grade of the druid within the order. In the case of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, the colors blue, green, and white are respectively assigned to these grades. Some modern Druids also use ritual staves, a symbolic magical instrument long associated with both Druids and wizards generally. Many modern Druids do not adopt any ceremonial garb.


In the 1990s and early 2000s, the use of sweat lodges became increasingly popular amongst Druids. Originally a practice performed by members of certain Native North American groups, it was adopted into Druidry as a part of a widespread perception that in order to learn about ancient European culture and religion, Druids would have to draw from indigenous cultures and religions from across the globe that were more in touch with the natural landscape. Within Druidry, sweat lodges are considered as "initiatory and regenerative opportunities to rededicate oneself to honouring the Earth and the community of life." 
Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Githabel Elder Arrested while performing Ceremony.

Australia is a country which openly say's its come a long way.  Today it just stepped back  over two hundred years with the arrest of  Githabel elder, Kamallie.  He was arrested for spitting as he was mixing ochre to apply to his body to perform ceremony.  NSW Police in doing so,  stepped over that spiritual line and took this country back into the dark ages. 

The arrest was made at Doubtful Creek outside Kyogle.  This is the site of one of Metgasco's PEL's.  There has been a large protest mounted here before the surface area was even prepared for the compound area..  All of the protesters  are determined, some of who are well practiced from the previous two and half months at the drilling site on the Avenue Road at Glenugie in the Grafton Shire.

Really, the government has shown itself to be doing dodgy deals all over the shop when it comes to mining and its starting to fall apart at the seams.  Every bit of this smells of corruption.   When a huge percentage of the Clarence River area said no, they were not going to sit down and take this and they have followed this No through with effective non violent direct action at both sites. 

NVDA is effectively costing the Metgasco company.  This is reflected in a drop in their share price.  Today their shares were sitting at 14.5cents each.  There are a lot of people who are planning a party when the price drops to 14cents.They are going broke but in the mean time we cannot take the pressure off.  These corrupt money hungry companies stop at nothing to get what they want and stoop to the gutter to achieve their bottom line.

Lock you gate folks and stand up for your God given rights to clean water from our planet.

It appears that Forestry workers lied to the elders the day before, telling them they would return at 8am Instead during ceremony preparation, around 6.30am Police arrived and the arrest was made.
This is Bunjalung land now.  The time has come for the ancient spirits to communicate with the people into their hearts.  Every sign and every symbol counts in this gathering of wisdom for country.

The men are preparing to call their spirit men,  the woman are preparing the food.  This campaign marks the point where Metgasco have stepped into unknown spiritual territory.  What happens to them now is their responsibility. The Ancestral Grandmothers and Grandfathers are very jealous about the water.

Images @ Melonpopzdropz Flickr

It was a total Solar Eclipse

What made it so special?
Duane Hamacher, an expert on Aboriginal astronomy at the University of NSW, said eclipses were of great importance in indigenous legends. The moon and sun are often seen as a man and a woman who chase each other across the sky, sometimes fighting, sometimes loving.

"In Euahlayi culture, the sun woman, Yhi, is constantly pursuing the moon man, Bahloo, who has rejected her advances," Mr Humacher writes in his blog.
"Sometimes Yhi eclipsed Bahloo, trying to kill him in a jealous rage. However, the spirits that held up the sky intervened and drove Yhi away from Bahloo.

"The Yolngu people of Elcho Island in Arnhem Land provided a similar, but less malevolent, explanation for a solar eclipse -- it was an act of copulation between the sun woman and moon man."

As in other parts of the world, eclipses in Aboriginal communities were seen as a sign of impending calamity or black magic, a threat that could be addressed by medicine men, or wirreenuns, who chanted a particular set of words or threw sacred stones or a boomerang at the eclipsing sun.

Mathematicians say total solar eclipses happen because of a remarkable celestial coincidence.
The sun is 400 times wider than the moon, but it is also 400 times farther away, so for those directly beneath, the discs appear to match in size.

Yesterday, a few lucky people got to witness, in person, what is one of the most spectacular of all celestial phenomenon: a total solar eclipse. Unfortunately, the path of totality took the eclipse, for most of its duration, through the Pacific Ocean, where almost no one lives. Fortunately, the eclipse was visible from the Northernmost point of Australia, which meant that some people, but not many, got to see it.
However, with the eclipse being such a rare event, it was only to be expected that cameras were trained on our nearest star, thus bringing the eclipse to the entire world via technology..
Of all the online photo galleries documenting the eclipse, perhaps the best of them all is that on Spaceweather.

Want more pictures? Well, they're all over the web with some of the largest galleries listed below:
Space.com
Universe Today

Images @ Melonpopzdropz Flickr

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The Bullroarer

 What is the Bullroarer?

Mystical, Magical, Ancient, communications, Initiation, Ceremony, Musical and weapon.  That is what a bullroarer is.  That is what you call a very versatile piece of equipment. 
So many cultures have bullroarers incorporated deeply.  Is this more than a coincidence.  The bullroarer was around for everyone.  The swinging vortex above the users head.  Creating a vortex anywhere is very powerful.
The bullroarer, rhombus, or turndun, is an ancient ritual musical instrument and a device historically used for communicating over greatly extended distances. It dates to the Paleolithic period, being found in Ukraine dating from 17,000 BC. Anthropologist Michael Boyd, a Bullroarer expert, documents a number found in Europe, Asia, the Indian sub-continent, Africa, the Americas, and Australia.
In ancient Greece it was a sacred instrument used in the Dionysian Mysteries and is still used in rituals worldwide.

Scandinavia

Scandinavian Stone Age cultures used the bullroarer. In 1991, the archeologists Hein B. Bjerck and Martinius Hauglid found a 6.4 cm-long piece of slate that turned out to be a 5000-year-old bullroarer (called a brummer in Scandinavia). It was found in Tuv in northern Norway, a place that was inhabited in the Stone Age.

Britain and Ireland Scotland

In Britain and Ireland, the bullroarer under a number of different names and styles is used chiefly for amusement, although formerly it may have been used for ceremonial purposes.

In parts of Scotland it was known as a "thunder-spell" and was thought to protect against being struck by lightning

In Australia

Bullroarers have accompanied the didgeridoos in initiation ceremonies and in burials to ward off evil spirits, bad tidings, and even women and children.
Bullroarers are considered secret men's business by some Aboriginal tribal groups, and hence forbidden for women, children, non-initiated men, or outsiders to even hear.  Fison and Howitt documented this in "Kamilaroi and Kurnai" (page 198). Anyone caught breaching the imposed secrecy was to be punished by death.

They are used in men's initiation ceremonies, and the sound they produce is considered in some indigenous cultures to represent the sound of the Rainbow Serpent. In the cultures of southeastern Australia, the sound of the bullroarer is the voice of Daramulan, and a successful bullroarer can only be made if it has been cut from a tree containing his spirit.

In 1987, Midnight Oil included a recording of a bullroarer on their album Diesel and Dust (at the beginning of the song "Bullroarer") inadvertently causing offense to the Aboriginal people of Central Australia from whom the recording was taken. The bullroarer can also be used as a tool in Aboriginal art

Mali

The Dogon use bullroarers to announce the beginning of ceremonies conducted during the Sigui festival held every sixty years over a seven-year period. The sound has been identified as the voice of an ancestor from whom all Dogon are descended.

Māori culture (New Zealand)

The pūrerehua is a traditional Māori bullroarer. Its name comes from the Māori word for moth. Made from wood, stone or bone and attached to a long string, the instruments were traditionally used for healing or making rain

Native North American

Almost all the native tribes in North America used bullroarers in religious and healing ceremonies and as toys. There are many styles.

Native South American

Amazonian Shamans, for example in Tupi, Kamayurá and Bororó culture used bullroarers as musical instrument for rituals. In tupian languages, the bullroaren known as hori hori.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toddsheridanartist/7841793152/

An interesting read from a book called Engendering Violence of Papua New Guinea by

Margaret Jolly, Christine Stewart, Carolyn Brewer.  It can be found here at this link

This collection builds on previous works on gender violence in the Pacific, but goes beyond some previous approaches to ‘domestic violence’ or ‘violence against women’ in analysing the dynamic processes of ‘engendering’ violence in PNG. ‘Engendering’ refers not just to the sex of individual actors, but to gender as a crucial relation in collective life and the massive social transformations ongoing in PNG: conversion to Christianity, the development of extractive industries, the implanting of introduced models of justice and the law and the spread of HIV. Hence the collection examines issues of ‘troubled masculinities’ as much as ‘battered women’ and tries to move beyond the black and white binaries of blaming either tradition or modernity as the primary cause of gender violence. It relates original scholarly research in the villages and towns of PNG to questions of policy and practice and reveals the complexities and contestations in the local translation of concepts of human rights. It will interest undergraduate and graduate students in gender studies and Pacific studies and those working on the policy and practice of combating gender violence in PNG and elsewhere.

Read here at Google Books