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Arnhemweavers Workshop Information
These workshops are offered to women (and
sometimes men) interested in
Yolngu culture where the focus is textiles. The knowledge and skills
the participants will be shown by the workshop leaders has been passed
down for thousands of years, “it is, as it always has been”.
Participants will learn how to collect barks, pandanus and other
plants. They will then be shown how to collect and prepare the fibres
for dyeing
before weaving or spinning.
It is assumed that workshop participants are
motivated to engage with, and learn about Yolngu culture and therefore
will be keen to learn the traditional skills offered by these women.
English is not the first language for these women, but as skilled
linguists, speak as many as twenty Yolŋu languages.
In addition there will be opportunities for those
interested participants to take part in hunting expeditions, including
collecting mud crabs, a variety of shellfish, fish and other game and
vegetable staples that Mäpuru residents regularly hunt and collect.
Since 2003 when the women first invited visitors
to Mapuru, many women come back year after year, moving the experience
from one of a tourist looking on, to a more spiritual and personally
meaningful life journey. These deep and respectful relatioships are
having a profound impact of the lives of the women concerned. Both
Nature Philospohy and CERES now offer priority places on workshops to
women who have previously visited Mapuru.
Workshop leaders: Two elderly
women who have lived on their ancestral homelands all their
lives, daily they spin and weave articles that they need for
themselves, their relatives, for ceremonies and for sale. These sisters
have remarkable skill, this is shown by the extent to which they have
travelled throughout Australia teaching their skills through workshops
at galleries and museums.
These women are expert at utilising a variety of
seasonally available materials for their weaving. They use pandanus
leaves, roots, and bark for spinning and weaving, as well as a wide
selection of roots, leaves and fruits to dye the fibres before spinning
and weaving.
The Mapuru women see this project as successful
because meaningful employment is created as well as financial
independence for
themselves and their families, in an environment where they are
striving to create a
welfare-free future for their children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren. They can only do this on their ancestral estates
or home-land.
All Mapuru women are enthused and excited
everytime visitors arrive because they are meeting women who are
respectful and genuinely intersted to meet and share, and simply being
with them.
Location: The workshops are held
at Mäpuru. Mäpuru is a small town situated on the mainland 10 minutes
flight south of Elcho Island, east Arnhemland. The residents are
all Yolngu and connected ancestrally to the area. Mapuru has a
permanent population of about 100.
Accommodation: The Mäpuru
residents will provide a traditional bark shelter for shade. It is
recommended participants bring their own mosquito domes or small tents.
Phones: There are two phones in
Mäpuru, one is a public phone, that has a ring in number, ie people can
ring directly through to the pay phone number. There is a second phone
at the school that was established in 2010. It is a good idea to bring
a
phone-away card.
Ablutions: There is access to a
clean ‘long-drop’ toilet, and cold shower with
usually running water.
Climate: Mapuru is in the
tropics, where the day time temperature is around 30˚C, and a night
time temperature of about 24˚C. Rain doesn’t usually fall between May
and November but night time temperatures can fall to 18˚ in June, (but
bear in mind, it may rain even in the dry season).
What to take: Food (be prepared
to cook over a fire), eating utensils, mosquito net or dome (although
there are very few mosquitos), note book, hat, sunscreen, water bottle,
.., .., ..,
Women: please bring long shirts or dress, (have a look at the website
to see how Yolŋu women dress).
Food: Food is not provided. A
very basic co-op operates from the school,
where some canned goods can be purchased through an EFTPOS machine.
No fresh fruit or vegetables are available from the co-op. It is
suggested that participants bring non-perishable food such as muesli,
noodles, canned fish, vegetables and fruit such as carrots, sweet
potato, oranges, etc.
Travel: It is recommended that
participants travel by a high clearance 4WD to Mäpuru because it is the
cheapest
transport method and enables participants to take part in excursions
from Mäpuru for hunting and gathering, as well as travelling through
some beautiful country on the way.
By 4WD vehicle, Mäpuru is a minimum 12 hours drive
from Darwin. These are some of the options for road travel;
If a vehicle needs to be hired. It is
important participants
agree before arrival in Darwin to share vehicle hire and fuel costs. If
there are eight participants then hire vehicle will be about $220 and
fuel about $80 for the week (a return trip in a Toyota troop carrier
uses about 450L).
When driving please ensure you carry: tow rope and
shackles, shovel, axe and two spare tyres.
If you are not experienced 4WD'ers it is
recommended
that all participants contribute $100 and pay for a Mäpuru community
member to fly to Darwin and guide your journey.
Insurance: The women at Mäpuru
are eager that their workshops continue to grow, developing mutally
respectful and meaningful relationships with Balanda (non-Indigenous
people), as well as dignity and income for their
families. In an effort to reduce complications and keep the project
under their control, the women have no insurance. They do not see that
is necessary as they only undertake to;
• provide workshop tuition
• act as guides when procuring materials, including leaves, bark,
roots, etc.
Participation in all activities is encouraged, but
if participants decide to involve themselves in weaving activities such
as pulling down pandanus leaves, digging dyes, they do so at their own
risk.
Workshop Costs: The cost is $150
per day, per person for the five day workshops, and $100 per day for
the ten day cycad workshops. It is requested that prospective
participants deposit 50% of the workshop fee (($375) into the Arnhem
Weavers bank acc to secure a place on the workshop. This money is
usually withdrawn as cash and given back to each participant at Mapuru.
At the end of the workshop each visitor will give the full amount
to Marathuwarr. It is best to take out any cash you may need as there
is no access to banks or automatic teller machines at Mäpuru.
Workshop numbers: A minimum
number of 5 participants is necessary for the workshops to be offered.
So that learning and engagement with the teachers is personal with
independent instruction, there is a maximum of 15 participants.
Securing a place in a workshop: A
deposit of 50% is required to make sure you have a place. If there are
insufficient numbers four weeks before the planned date of travel to
run a workshop then the full deposit will be refunded. We suggest
people endeavour to organise their own groups of five to eight with
friends or professional associates to ensure the workshop proceeds.
Gfits:
It is not recommended that gifts be brought. It is important that the
Mapuru children grow up learning that the Yolngu universe is rich,
modern and
sustaining. That Yolngu view that the world and all elements within the
environment are sacred has much to offer the Western world. It is also
important that visitors do not bring stories of a much
richer, brighter, glitzier Western world for the children. Gifts to the
schools that
support the Elders and their aspirations are very welcome; pencils,
books, fishing lines, hooks, etc.
Images and recording:
Generally workshop
participants
are requested not to use cameras during time at Mapuru. This decision
has been made because workshops offer a unique
opportunity to develop a close and meaningful relationships with Mapuru
women, and cameras can invade personal space and
unbalance a developing relationship between the Mapuru women and
visitors.
Mapuru women are keenly interested to meet and share with
other women, time spent meaningfully sharing is called 'gurul'. It is
impossible for 'gurul' to flourish if Mapuru women feel they are being
observed, photographed, researched or studied.
If participants would like to keep a
digital record of a workshop for personal use only. It is recommended
that members of a
group take images with one camera for all participants to use, images
taken can then be shared with
all other participants. (There is a camera available at Mapuru for
partipicants to use.) The Arnhem Weavers are greatly appreciative when
photo albums are collated and posted back by workshop participants.
No publication or commerical usuage is authorised unless
written permission is granted by all three: Linda Marathuwarr, Roslyn
Malngumba and Julieanne Gitjpulu. Participants may be requested to sign
an 'Authority to Make a
Recording'.
Philosophy behind Arnhem Weavers: For decades white
anthropologists, linguists and other reseachers have studied Yolŋu.
Similarly governments and other service providers have developed
policies and delivered programs without actively engaging Yolŋu.
Both of these activities have a negative impact on the well-being, self
esteem and dignity of the people they are meant to be working with.
No-one wants to be seen as deficit and in constant need of service
provision.
The Arnhem Weavers prove that there is another way, where divergent
cultures can respect each others traditions. And where
Yolŋu women and men, as members of an ancient and yet modern, vibrant,
forward looking culture have at least as much to offer Western
societies and Western societies have to offer them. This is
particularly evident during these times of environmental damage,
dwindling resources and the faultering global financial system.
Permits: Before any travel is
undertaken through Arnhemland, (ie, to Mäpuru), all participants must
have a permit. These will be organised for participants through the Northern Land Council.
Contact: John Greatorex, (08) 89
466 983, email: john.greatorex@cdu.edu.au (Emailed preferred contact).
Post Script: If participants are
interested, John is willing to provide a half-day program introducing
participants to the language and culture of North East Arnhem Land.
John is the Co-ordinator of the Yolngu Languages and Culture program at
Charles Darwin University. If you are planning a trip a long time in
advance some study of Yolŋu language and culture is stongly recommended
by enrolling in a program at Charles Darwin University. For fruther
information see: yolngustudies
Last updated June 2011
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