Between October 4-7, Arabana Aboriginal Corporation assisted Arabana mob to get back on country by holding the Arabana Ngura (Arabana Camp) at Finniss Springs Station. About 90 Arabana nharla (Arabana people) camped out - aged from 93 to less than one year. For some families, four generations of Arabana were camped together!
Groups set up on both sides of the creek, close to the station homestead with a wonderful view of the old buildings and Kadni-tharrka’apukunha, ‘Frill necked lizard standing’, or Trig Hill.
The weather was great, not too much puthu (dust) or wabmara (wind) and not too hot or cold - but nguri-nguri-ai! So many flies!
Everyone woke early in the morning and had tyalpu, and in the evening came back together again for more tyalpu. On the final night everyone received a gift of a camp jumper with the Arabana wadni (song) on the back. In the daytime everyone did activities led by Arabana people. In Facebook posts in the coming days and weeks, AAC will share more about those activities - but they were all about connecting with country, culture, language and with each other!
The Arabana Ngura was wonderful - everyone was wiya-wiyarnda (laughing), no one was ngardliyanta (feeling sorry), no one was paku-yanhirnda (speaking falsely). Arabana mob felt good to be on wadlhu and wadhlu felt panki-pankirda (happy) to have Arabana around as a mob.
Next year, AAC will run the Arabana Ngura again, probably in September or October as it was good to have warmer nights! So, start planning and save your holidays for 2025.
Thank you to the camp and activity leaders Veronica Arbon, Tina Raye, Lionel Dodd, Syd Strangways, and Zaaheer McKenzie; thank you to camp activity support Bronwyn Dodd, Dennis Amos, Matthew Strangways, Kristy Oduro; thank you to Susan Dodd who volunteered time with the kids doing art; thank you to AAC staff Juliana Chambers, Neil Brougham, Jess Smith, Jodi Shaw; thank you to the Arabana Rangers Zaaheer McKenzie, Stanley Wingfield, Aamish Warren, Tristan Stuart, Hayden Stuart; thank you to all Arabana who attended. It was a beautiful time for Arabana to reconnect and wouldn't have been possible without each and every one of you.
#ArabanaNgura #OnCountry #FinnissSprings #ArabanaMob #CulturalConnection #IndigenousCulture #FamilyGathering #ReconnectingWithCountry #StrongerTogether #ArabanaPride
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