On Friday 28 June over 50 people gathered in the Armagh ballroom for a ‘Candlelight Yarn – a Taste of Turruk’ as part of the Initiatives of Change Australia National Gathering. This session of the annual gathering was to give the interstate network of IofCA a ‘taster’ of our signature Turruk program.
The evening started off with a heartfelt Acknowledgement of Country by Kat Farrell after which participants were treated to a ‘global indigenous sound healing’ by Juan Aldrey.
The key question for discussion was: ‘How might we say true to Uluru?’ It commenced with First Nations elders Uncle Glenn Loughrey and Uncle Charles Pakana, founding editor of Victorian Aboriginal News, challenging those gathered to move beyond being ‘allies’ to being ’accomplices’ in the task of righting the wrongs of colonial dispossession and oppression. Andrew Gunstone, professor of Indigenous Studies at Federation University and Co-chair of Reconciliation Victoria, then presented key findings from his recent book, Reflections on the Voice.
Uncle Glenn Loughery, invited those present to embody the Uluru statement with ‘six-dimensional thinking’ and to turn around the question to non-indigenous people as to ‘who are the deficit community?’ Andrew Gunstone uncovered his experiences at the frontline of racism during and after the referendum. He continues to advocate that ‘substantial reconciliation’ — which centres truth, treaty and justice — needs to replace the virtue signalling of ‘performative reconciliation’. Uncle Charles Pakana, as a First Nations journalist covering many reconciliation events, observed that he see a lot of ‘indulgent reconciliation’ where there are budgets on film crews and venue hire before First People’s speaker fees, and overlooks the purpose of bringing marginalized voices to the centre of the process. Informed by these inputs, discussion was taken into group discussions and report backs.
Sarah Naarden, Trustbuilding Project Manager, gave an overview of Turruk. After 86 truth-telling events held so far, the Turruk program has taken a short pause the last few months in order to research possibilities and partnerships for its future development and sustainability. Turruk returns this November with Regather Turruk – A Global Indigenous Yarn about Regenerative Sustainability Sarah also spoke of IofCA’s long history of engagement and support of Aboriginal people in Australia, going back to a connection with Aunty Marge Tucker, whose ground-breaking autobiography has just been republished.
A compelling performance of Archie Roach’s song Let Love Rule by Kat Farrell, Uncle Glenn and Arlon capped the yarning circle, followed by a sing-along of From Little Things Big Things Grow led byinternational award-winning music producer Warren Wills on the piano.
Afterwards the guest speakers joined IofCA staff in the Taste of Turruk dinner: some familiar dishes with a sprinkle of indigenous ingredients.
- Sarah Naarden, project manager of IofCA’s Trustbuilding Program
