INTRODUCTION.
150 years ago amid much confusion, heart-break and massacres
Tribal Elders from all over Aboriginaland came together to discuss
the future of the Aboriginal race. It was decided to surrender to
survive and it was against great odds that the Aborigines did
survive. At the opening of the Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra in
June 1975 a Council of Tribal Elders Called for a closed session
of Aboriginals to determine the future of our People. The Elders
were deeply concerned about the devastation of the Sacred Rainbow
Serpent deep within the Mother Earth, and requested that all
Aboriginals start talking about land Rights to prevent mining and
destruction. They asked that we teach Non-Aboriginals
environmental culture so that they will understand the Sacred
significance of the earth and its environment so that the human
race as one people will survive. So nowadays in this month of
October 1991 we have a place to start, THE CUBAWEE INTERNATIONAL
ABORIGINAL CULTURAL CENTRE, which will be the start of a new
beginning for all humanity. We envision all walks of human life
will pass through our door and will come out a lot wiser about us,
the Traditional Owners of this land- the land the ancestors called
"the land of the everlasting spirit. The ROLL OF THE TRIBAL
ELDERS COUNCIL The Tribal Elders Council will be recognised as
living treasures because of the wealth of Knowledge that has been
passed down to them by their hereditary forebears. The Council
will operate in the legal manner according to corporate policy.
Each of the seven Council members will be decision makers. Their
role will be to pass out the teachings and select other Elders and
teachers to pass on these teachings to our younger generations and
to whomsoever they choose. The Elders Council will liaise with
Directors with regard to local Land Councils and local Aboriginal
protocol. It will be the duty of the Directors to consider local
feelings where the Culture is concerned. The Tribal Elders
Council and Directors will be the overall decision makers. It is
imperative that the Tribal Elders Council make decisions according
to Aboriginality and Cultural beliefs. The Tribal Elders Council
and Directors will be responsible for the Cultural welfare of all
Aboriginals who use the Centre. The major role of the Tribal
Elders Council will be to enforce the ancient cultural beliefs and
customs of the mother earth and the old laws. In doing so the
following objectives will be pursued:
a) To support the cultural revival that is emerging through the
destruction of the earth by mining.
b) To support the voices that are speaking against the wanton
destruction of the environment in accordance with tribal
traditional ways.
c) To recognise that tribal and traditional elders are custodians
of their ancestral lands and that these places are sacred to all.
d)To recognise Aboriginal people as useful citizens in all aspects
of the arts and culture and to be capable to be managers of their
own affairs. REGENERATION CULTURAL PROJECTS Self Esteem. The
overall outlook of Australian youths is very much the worse for
wear in general, however the Aboriginal youth is emerging as the
social outcast, the renegade of Youth and Community Services who
provide adjustment programmes minus the vital ingredient of
Aboriginality and its cultural and spiritual centre. The majority
of Aboriginal youths lack self confidence. There is so much
negative propaganda about Aboriginal society and communities that
our young people don't want to identify with, and one cannot blame
them especially those who are trying to forge a career and future
for themselves in schools, colleges and universities. The self
esteem programme will break down the barriers of differences our
young people encounter in their day to day life and open their
right of passage based on self respect. Turning Back Programme.
The main projects for youth will entail cultural teachings from
Elders including Initiation Journeys. In Aboriginal communities
the children are the centre of the household. it was the law that
all adults be responsible for the children regardless of whether
they were blood, kin or relative.The children had a choice, they
could pick their own parents and live in that household. The aims
of the Jugume Youth Centre is to get back to the old ways so that
the teachings will live through our children who are the seeds of
the future. Youth Circle Programme. A futuristic vision is to
create a link up with youths from overseas whereby Aboriginal
youths will run workshops and be hosts. JUGUME YOUTH CENTRE.
(Jugume derives from the Githrabaul word meaning
youth/young,person/teenager. Githrabaul tribal area is from Kyogle
to the Queensland border). Jugume Youth Centre's purpose is to
establish a starting base for Traditional Elders to choose young
girls and boys to be initiated into the basics of Aboriginal
Culture i.e. their heritage and birthright. Since the
Assimilation/Integration Policy Acts set up in the early 1970's,
Aboriginal people across the board abandoned the
fragmented.cultural teachings that missionisation tried to stamp
out during the Aboriginal Protection Board regime.During the
turbulent years of the 70's and 80's relocation into white
society, our young people were grossly neglected by our elders
through no fault of their own but simply because they fell prey to
political historians, anthropologists, archaeologists etc, to such
an extent that their duties and obligations as tribal custodians
had to be shelved, put on hold until such a time as they could
begin teaching once again. NOW IS THE TIME.Over the last ten
years Elders from all over Aboriginaland have started a
regeneration of the Culture among the youth. It has proved quite
successful with the only hindrance being that the Elders cannot
take the youths out into the bush to the appropriate training
grounds which are the sacred sites. In NSW many if not all are in
National Parks and Wildlife jurisdiction and are not accessible to
the traditional teachers for long periods of training. Other sites
are on private property and in National forests.Jugume Youth
centre will be the catalyst for the Elders to revive insight into
the cultural shock the world has experienced since the British
re-enactment of the 1788-1988 colonisation. BILYANA HEALING
CENTRE. The healing centre will cater to the healing of the body,
Mind and Spirit. It will be completely under Aboriginal control
and will be set up using predominantly Aboriginal Traditional
Healers. Because modern scientific methods have failed the
Aboriginals over the last one hundred years and indeed
non-Aboriginal society, the healing will be done by Traditional
Healers using their own ancient methods and remaining plants and
herbs. The Healers will cater to both Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginals. Non-Aboriginal peoples will pay the Traditional
Healers a set fee to learn about herbs and methods of healing.
Aims. Healing the Human Spirit through:
* Assertiveness training courses
* Personal development training
* Deportment and grooming.
* Preventative health measures, i.e. teaching good diet and
hygiene.
* Bushtucker food.
* Natural preventative traditional medicines and herbs etc.
Healing Methods. Mind and Body Balance- To understand how harmony
and balance is upheld in the human body is the major problem
humanity faces in this changing time. When the mind, spirit and
body are not in perfect co-ordination with the self, the person is
out of balance with their environment as well as themselves. By
using ancient Aboriginal techniques with the right brain
hemispheres, Traditional Healers can restore the balance, back
into the people with whom they come into contact. Traditional
Medicine. For the Traditional Healers to carry their methods of
healing they will have to have amenities suitable to their needs.
Some may wish to take their students into the bush for healing.
These settings will be provided for. Herbs. Healing plants and
herbs used in the traditional way, will be the major component for
healing use. Cultural methodology. For the Elders to function
and carry out their duties with cultural methods, traditional
utensils and a suitable environment will be provided in which to
produce liniments and oils and various other healing aids. These
functions will be a major part of the healing centre. Nutrition.
Post-care healing depends largely upon a substantial diet. The use
of traditional "Bush Tucker" for all who have received teaching
will be a highlight of the Centre. Visitors coming to the
Cultural Centre will experience a "Bush Tucker Night" as part of
the two communities getting to know each others cultures.
ALINTA FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS MEDIA CENTRE.
Aims. To set the record straight where our people are concerned
and explode the myth of the noble savage syndrome. Stereotyping
will no longer be in vogue. The Media Centre will promote all
aspects of the Performing and Visual Arts.Its main function will
be to record the performing cultural arts and to promote music,
dance, creative writing, videos, documentaries, film, drama and
theatre throughout the world. The Media Centre will train
Aboriginals in the entertainment industry as Producers and
Directors. From out of the Media Centre will emerge; posters,
postcards, tourist information on various sites in National Parks
and Wildlife that tell the stories pertaining to each site and
television commercials using our own people. All literature
pertaining to Aboriginality will be distributed from the Centre.
The centre will provide a breakdown course for Aboriginals in
National Parks and Wildlife Services on the preservation of Sacred
Sites, thus enabling our own people to be responsible for their
Ancestral Heritage as caretakers in the Tribal areas to which they
belong. The Centre will also provide films and documentaries for
educational purposes which will be made available to schools,
colleges and universities. A fee will be charged for these
services. Production. The Producer/Director of Alinta is
Lorraine Mafi-Williams. Production crews will be paid as each
project goes into production. Courses. Courses will be set out
by the Administrator. Teachers will be hired on a six-weekly
basis, to teach the basics in creative writing, journalism,
desk-top publishing etc. Modelling and deportment skills are to
be taught, to encourage commercial television channels to use
Aboriginal models and actors and to promote their products through
the visual media. Guest Teachers. All teachers will be paid on a
casual basis. The workshops will be run by tribal Elders and
teachers, with the teachers receiving a fee. When teaching
Aboriginals, funding will be sought from independent sponsors.
Travel, accommodation and living expenses will be provided.
Security. Because of the value of the centre and the equipment
that will be there, a need for an efficient security system is a
must! Six young Aboriginal men will complete a training course
with teachers and security personnel.