Elcho Island
A wiry old grandfather adorned in paint, armulets and feathers has such an aura about him - a spiritual figure from another age. He looks the part; he is the part. He‘s from another world.
As for us, we have one foot in two different worlds ... Le Lapérouse and . . . Le Dreamtime.
Grandfather, singularly, assumes a rare and special role. He starts the welcome dance to the music of didgeridoo and clap sticks putting all he has in him into it. He exhausts himself, ending-up leaning, breathless and bowed, on the central ceremonial dance poles until assisted into the shade and given water.
In this rare dance performance, we learn that the grandfather is passing-on identity and knowledge to his great grandson standing out here with others in this small community of first nation’s people dressed in a rainbow sash. He tells of ‘who we are’ and ‘where we come from’.
We are indeed honoured to be witness to this.
Grandfather is the figure head of the Galiwin'ku community on Elcho Island off the coast of East Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory.
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The dancing that follows tells of the people’s spiritual journey; a journey starting with a God that comes from nothing and who is represented in the poles set up in the centre ground before us. The songs talk about the universe and creation from their view. Culture is presented in timelines. And the poles represent timelines of a different time.
We sit comfortably on chairs placed on mats laid over powdery red soil. Branches of eucalypt leaves on top of simple structures provide shade. Beyond the central open courtyard, the sea rolls in in gentle waves on a wide stretch of beach and breaks over large ochre boulders at each end. Shade trees line the shore. Last week, a crocodile took one of their dogs.
Song, didgeridoo and clap sticks herald the entrance of an enthused community daubed with ash and white paint, branches waving in their hands, circling around the poles dancing, stomping with clouds of fine red dust up their nostrils, unperturbed. (Our worlds are very far apart indeed.)
There’s never been anything like this here before, and they’ll probably not do it again for a long time.
After lighting the welcome fire, a couple of impressive ‘Aunts’ do all the explaining. This is first group from a cruise ship and they are so anxious to impress. They are obviously up for it. It’s a big thing to be handling an event like this and to see it carried out so beautifully.
Years ago, their grandfather’s great vision included education for his daughters, and he sent them to school in Darwin. These now older women explain to us wonderful stories of their history which they in turn are proud to be passing on to their children.
Speaking with one of the younger men, I learn of his own very interesting backstory including a little about how the people live and earn a living. His parents separated when he was five months old and his Irish/Welsh dad took him to Australia where he was educated, played Aussie Rules football, and got a trade.
He was brought up as a Pentecostal Christian where he learned the importance of honouring your father and your mother. So, in his mid-20s, he felt it time to look for his mother, and reconcile. He is now living with her in the community learning how to hunt and gather and do the things that are the members of his family have done for years.
The opportunities for employment are provided largely by the government services. Tourism and indigenous Arts and crafts figure highly in the plans of the community, and they are doing their best to respond with their own special brand of welcome and hospitality. We can attest to that. They're on their way and hopefully to more self-sufficiency over time.
About Irena's Elcho Island story and book WHITE WOMAN BLACK ART
Irena describes her time during 1993 and 1994 establishing the Elcho Island Aboriginal Art and Craft Centre as well as living and working with the Aboriginal artist. Elcho Island is situated in the Arafura Sea off Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
Aboriginal Artist - Tommy Minburra
Elcho Island's (Northern Territory, Australia) Tommy Minburra paints various totems representing his tribe on quality canvas. Elcho Island is known for its rich culture and outstanding contributions to the arts and crafts markets around the world. Tommy Minburra is featured as an up and coming artist from the island.
Yuta Badayala [In a new light]
Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design will exhibit a range of lights which are the first market-ready outcomes of a collaboration between furniture designers Koskela and weavers from Elcho Island Arts.
The exhibition will open in Objects Project Space on 6 February 2010. Yuta Badayala (In a new light) builds on Objects ongoing commitment to nurturing and promoting contemporary Indigenous craft and design practices and includes pieces by Mavis Warrngilna Ganambarr, Roslyn Malngumba, Margaret Bambalara and Julienne Gitjpulu.
Each of the lampshades uses traditional pandanus and bush string weaving techniques. They are filled with the stories of their makers - about their lands, their culture and their traditions.
Galiwin'ku means business
Galiwin'ku is the largest community in east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. This video explores the enterprise businesses on Elcho Island that are helping the community to create employment, keep traditional culture strong and develop economic independence.
This video is part of a series made in communities identified under the Council of Australian Governments' National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery:
Galiwin'ku means business
Galiwin'ku is the largest community in east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. This video explores the enterprise businesses on Elcho Island that are helping the community to create employment, keep traditional culture strong and develop economic independence.
This video is part of a series made in communities identified under the Council of Australian Governments' National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery:
Banumbirr (Morning star poles)
Banumbirr (Morning star poles) installed in 'Spirited: Works from the Gallery's Indigenous Australian Collection', on view at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, until 8 August 2010.
Intangible presences that are central to Aboriginal societies connect the divine realm with the mundane world. Age-old narratives tell of spirit beings guiding, tricking, plotting, inspiring and protecting Aboriginal people, and sacred songs and ceremonies provide pathways to the spirit world. Some spirits have human form and traits whereas others inhabit the natural environment, residing in plants, birds and animals. The Aboriginal universe is alive with spirits and the works displayed here explore this reality.
Artists from Elcho Island (Galiwin'ku) off the coast of the Northern Territory have made this unique group of banumbirr (morning star poles) for public display; this group is considered the most important collection in the world. The softwood poles, bound with string, painted with clan designs and decorated with feathers, are a visual feast of texture and colour, reflecting the artists' personal artistic styles. The poles are similar to those used in annual Maradjirri ceremonies in central and eastern Arnhem Land, when the activities of the creative spirit Mukarr are recalled in special songs and dances. Mukarr travelled by bark canoe to the mainland from a sacred waterhole on Galiwin'ku and made the first morning star pole.
Bark fibre string, cotton, feathers, native beeswax, synthetic polymer paint, natural pigments on wood
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| EXHIBITION WEBSITE |
Yirrkala Project 2012
In July 2012 Visual Feast Creations travelled to Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land to work for a month as Artists in Resident at the Yirrkala CEC School. The program was about teaching the students whose first language is Yolgnu about recycling through hands on art and craft programs. The programs also allowed for the students to share some of their culture and what is important to them with ourselves and the Melbourne Community through the creation of this video and an exhibition that was held in Melbourne at the Victorian University Gallery in December 2013
An insane Banyawarra yidaki played by Adam Marrilaga
This is Adam Marrilaga, in our estimation the best yirdaki technician in Arnhem Land. At only 21 years old (it is his birthday today - time for some serious celebrations!!), Marrilaga's technical skills are nothing short of breathtaking. We have previously filmed Adam at Galuru as a young 19 year old, his speed, versatility and virtuosity then was already apparent.
Adam hasn't played yirdaki for a while, but he is here at iDIDJ Australia as artist-in-residence to recover his health... is body has taken a bit of a beating in the past 6 months due to neglect. He will be playing some amazing sticks, craft yirdaki, and hopefully make a full recovery during his time here.
The yirdaki being played here is by Banyawarra, it is an instrument we have kept the longest of the handful she has made and painted for us. No words would do justice to it, just listen!
Making a Didgeridoo part 2
Shows all the steps on how to build a wooden didgeridoo starting with a piece of log, or branch, shape it, hollow out the bore, advice on how to tune it, build a mouth piece, put on any decoration and finish. It is a fun project, but do it at your own risk due to the use of power tools shown! Satisfaction of learning how to play your self made didgeridoo (also called Yedaki) will make this a well worth project. Description
Aboriginal Australia
for Accommodation darwin cbd, darwin holiday rentals, short term rentals, apartments, holiday homes, darwin city, cbd, northern territory, nt, australia, ozehols.Northern Territory's vibrant capital is Darwin. A city with many different nationalities sharing an easy-going lifestyle, Darwin is located on a peninsular with the sea on three sides. It is a place unvisited by winter where the weather can usually be described as either balmy or sultry. Darwin is well appointed, possessing most of the amenities expected of a much larger city. Watching sunsets and storms are something of a local pastime, and after a cleansing rain shower you can almost hear things growing. If you are planning to holiday, Darwin holiday rentals are varying to fit many different budgets.Try a delicious jackfruit curry, sip a fresh mango smoothie or sample some crocodile jerky at one of Darwin's weekend markets. Regular markets are located throughout the city, but the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets are perhaps the best known. Operating every Thursday and Sunday evening between May and October, there are music and dance performances, art and craft stalls, and an eclectic mix of international dishes. Local restaurants also offer delicious cuisine -- sit back and enjoy local favourites, like succulent mud crabs or barramundi. A great way to experience Darwin Harbour is to board a sunset cruise and drift by the scenic foreshore. There are many attractions within easy reach. Browse the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Hand-feed huge milkfish and even barramundi at Aquascene in Doctors Gully, see hundreds of crocodiles at Crocodylus Park, or stroll along the historic city walk to see many of Darwin's historically significant sites. Darwin is a great base from which to explore the surrounding region and the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, which is located 250 kilometres from Darwin.Looking for holiday accommodation in Darwin CBD? Affordable to luxury options available on OzeHols. Holiday rentals including holiday homes, apartments, hotels, motels and more.
Making of NT Mojos
The Making of NT Mojos
TREATY Solo danced by Emma Batman
Left Side Labs presents... an excerpt from the latest work (premiering July 2017) choreographed by Emma Batman & Mathew Heggem.
Saltwater Slide - Saltwater Dub
Live @ Nightlite
06/03/2016
Weavers Workshop for Yuta Badayala [In a New Light]
To coincide with Yuta Badayala [In a New Light], Object invited weavers from Elcho Island and Sascha Titchkosky to participate in a weaving workshop held in the Project Space
Jock Zonfrillo | Racing Extinction
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Healing with Traditional Foods - A Quirky Journey Podcast #141
quirkycooking.com.au
Welcome to episode #141 of the A Quirky Journey podcast!
Over the last century, our refined, Western foods have crept into most societies world wide. What has been the impact of these foods on the health and wellbeing of ancient cultures and peoples? In this podcast, we discuss the work of Weston A. Price and the foundation that carries his name, and how they are helping cultures all over the world to return to traditional, healing foods.
Background:
Weston Price was a dentist with an interest in nutrition and health, who travelled extensively in the 1930’s, observing the dietary habits of diverse cultures including the Lötschental in Switzerland, Native Americans, Polynesians, Pygmies, and Australian Aboriginals, among many others. His extensive research materials include some 15,000 photographs, 4,000 slides, and many filmstrips. He observed that various diseases endemic to Western cultures of the 1920s and 1930s were rarely present in non-Western cultures, and that as non-Western groups abandoned indigenous diets and adopted Western patterns of living, they showed increases in typical Western diseases. He concluded that Western methods of commercially preparing and storing foods stripped away vitamins and minerals necessary to prevent these diseases.
Initially, the medical and scientific communities vigorously rejected this controversial work as lacking scientific precision, nevertheless, as time went on, research has confirmed his observations and modern medical orthodoxy is slowly accepting that lifestyle and diet are a major factor, perhaps the major factor, in the degenerative diseases that plague the developed world. Many have credited his book, “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A Comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects“, with greatly improving their health. [
This Episode:
Jo interviews Hilda Gore of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) in the US about her work, the foundation’s commitment of sharing knowledge and research around “food, farming, and the healing arts”, and her upcoming trip to Australia. They talk about this non-profit group’s dedication to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. WAPF supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labelling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies.
Bonus – Intro with the cooks at the Hope for Health “Together Retreat”!
Jo is recording this episode from Noonamah, NT, where she and her friends and cooking at an Indigenous health and cultural learning retreat – the perfect place to talk about traditional cultures, the effect of a western diet on indigenous people, and the importance of traditional healing foods!! Jo, Leah and Shantell share their experiences of cooking for and with the Yolngu people of East Arnhem Land – fascinating indigenous foods, knowledge and bush craft were shared with the Balanda (non-indigenous) people at the two week retreat, and much connection, learning and healing took place. Such a beautiful experience for all who attended. (You can find more info about the “Together Retreats” here: )
Jo and the girls were adopted into the Yolngu clan, and Jo is looking forward to travelling with Hilda up to Elcho Island to spend time with the Yolngu people in September, learning more about their traditional foods. You can check out Jo’s photos and videos of this retreat on her Quirky Cooking Facebook page, here:
Useful Links:
Learn more about The Weston A. Price Foundation:
Visit Hilda’s Website, Holistic Hilda:
Listen in to Hilda Gore’s Podcast, Wise Traditions:
Help support Hilda’s upcoming trip to Australia:
Learn more about the work of Hope for Health in Australia:
ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF LISTENING:
You can also listen in on The Wellness Couch here: thewellnesscouch.com/aqj
The show is also available on podcast apps and on iTunes here:
Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave us a comment at the bottom of this video. We'd love to know what you think!
Traditional Noongar Aboriginal Musical Tools - Didgeridoo & Clap Stick Instruments, Mallee Tree Wood
Aboriginal Didgeridoo Musical Instruments - Mallee Trees & Roots - Flora & Fauna Species
Welcome to Island Vibe 2018
???? ☀️???? WELCOME TO ISLAND VIBE FESTIVAL 2018 ???? ☀️????
Australia's greenest outdoor festival ● Beachside family-friendly event held on luscious island just 90min from Brisbane
● 4 Days, 80+ Acts, 4 Stages, Dance Ceremony Circle & Kid Space, with Concerts, Cultural Performances, Eco Workshops, Cabaret, Talks, Food and Craft Markets ●
???? Home Beach, Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) - South-East Queensland, Australia
???? 13th edition will be from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th October, 2018
✔ Island Vibe Festival
✔ Video Production → Byron Film
✔ Music → Live performance by OKA and Dub Princess on the Lion Mane Stage at Island Vibe Festival 2017