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Graeme Mundine. Executive Secretary The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission. Acknowledgement of Country Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. Where are we going ? Who am I? What is Spirituality? A couple of Stories. Some thoughts.
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Graeme Mundine Executive Secretary The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission
Acknowledgement of Country WurundjeriPeople of the Kulin Nation
Where are we going ? • Who am I? • What is Spirituality? • A couple of Stories. • Some thoughts
I come from the far north coast NSW. I’m a Bunjalung man. “I’m an economic refugee” The wife’s from England - they are still trying to colonising us!
The Beginning of Life…. By OODGEROO NOONUCCAL
Nothing grew. Nothing moved. Everything was quiet and still. The Animals, birds and reptiles lay sleeping under the earth’s crust.
Then one day the Rainbow Serpent awoke from her slumber and pushed her way through the earth’s crust, moving the stones that lay in her way.
When she emerged, she looked about her and then travelled over the land, going in all directions. She travelled far and wide, and when she grew tired she curled herself into a heap and slept.
Upon the earth the Rainbow Serpent left her winding tracks and the imprint of her sleeping body.
When she had travelled all the earth, she returned to the place where she first appeared and called the frogs, ‘Come out!'
The frogs were very slow to come from below the earth’s crust, for their bellies were heavy with water, which they had stored in their sleep.
The Rainbow Serpent tickled, and when the frogs laughed, the water ran all over the earth to fill the tracks of the Rainbow Serpents wanderings – and this is how the lakes and rivers were formed.
Then the grass began to grow, and the trees sprang up, and life began on earth.
All the Animals, birds and reptiles awoke and followed the Rainbow Serpent, the mother of life, across the land. They were happy on earth, and each lived and hunted for food with his own tribe. The Kangaroo, Wallaby and Emu tribes lived on the plains. The reptile tribes lived among the rocks and stones, and the bird tribes flew through the air and lived in the trees.
The Rainbow Serpent made laws that all were asked to obey. ‘Those who keep my laws I will reward well. I shall give them a human form. They and their children and their children’s children shall roam this earth forever. This shall be their land.
Those who kept her laws she turned into human form, and gave each of them their own Totems of the animal, bird or reptile whence they came. Some others were turned to stone, and became mountains and hills, to stand forever and watch over the tribes hunting for food at their feet.
So the tribes knew themselves by their own Totems: the kangaroo, the emu, the carpet snake, and many, many more. And in order that none should starve, she ruled that no man should eat of his own Totem, but only of the other Totems. In this way there was food for all.
So the tribes lived together in the land given to them by the Mother of Life, the Rainbow Serpent; and they knew that the land would always be theirs, and that no on should ever take it from them and them from the Land.
Jabiru Emu Brolga Pastor George Rosendale, Hopevale Qld
The Lazarus demand ‘Jesus cried out with a loud voice: “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them: “Unbind him, and let him go.”’ John 11:43-44
Learning from Missionaries:Lessons for Secular Development Practitioners Dr Matthew Clarke – Deakin University Dr John Donnelly – World Vision Australia
Mission and Development: a PNG example Franciscans explicitly set out to ‘improve’ the physical lives of the people of Aitape: Health Education Agricultural extension Empowerment Franciscans showed great concern for the people and went to great lengths to help them adapt to the modern world
Mission and Development : a PNG example In 1949, the Franciscan community produced a document that provided the framework for their mission (development) activities: The Decalogue of Development This document pre-dates secular appreciation of participation by four decades (and common practice by six decades)
Decalogue of Development Thou shalt not be ethnocentric Thou shalt not be paternalistic Thou shalt not talk down to people Thou shalt not cross anyone in public Thou shalt listen twice as much as thou speakest
Decalogue of Development cont’d Thou shalt find out what are the felt needs of the people Thou shalt consult the people in all projects Thou shalt serve the people in their strivings Thou shalt develop sensitivity to all cultural factors Thou shalt communicate God’s love at all times
Working Together • How can Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people work together for lasting change? • How can we create meaningful partnerships?
Key principles for a successful partnerships • Intend to decolonise and reframe the way we think about issues. • Intend to create change. • Emphasise social and political contexts. • Recognise Indigenous worldviews and knowledges. • Privilege Indigenous voices and experiences. • Integrate cultural protocols and behaviours. • Is the partnership wanted and will it benefit the participant community? (Atkinson, 2002, Martin, 2001a,2001b, 2002, Rigney, 1996,1997,1999,2001, Smith, 2003)
What does that mean in practice? • Who is instigating and controlling the project? • Be aware of how you represent the partnership and how material is disseminated. • Position, position, position! • Not Aboriginal. • Be aware of your own cultural background. • Critical reflection essential
What is critical reflection? • What do I bring to the project ? Am I doing good or just another white ‘do gooder’? • What impact does my culture, my background, my expectations and my experiences have on the project and the ‘community’. • What are my assumptions? • What effect does the project have on me?
Know the community • Understanding the issues of each community. • Who or what is “Community”? • Understanding the power relationships: • Respect the Elders • Who is speaking on whose behalf ? • The role of Government Agencies - power through funding • Access to relevant agencies
Know the context • Legacy of 250 years of colonization. • Native Title, Land Rights, Stolen Generation, Health Issues, Education Issues, Displacement, Fractured Communities. • Current Government policies • Economic Development the way of the future or is this just said so often enough so we too believe it? Who’s Economic Development?
Learn to Listen “ To learn Goorie (Koorie) way is to listen, watch, wait and then act – we don’t ask questions” Uncle Harry Walker – Bundjalung elder.
