Mapuru Homeland
Deep in north east Arnhem Land, two days drive from Darwin, lies the small community of Mapuru Homeland
Home ... a community
strong in culture, language and ancestral connections;
alive with love, resilience, courage, grief, creativity, kindness, humour and adaptability;
offering open hearted generosity to visitors.
Home ... on Country
beautiful woolly-butt trees giving bright orange flowers to all;
cypress pine for camp constructions;
pandanus and other roots and leaves for weaving and dyeing
Home ... on Country
fish, yams, long-bottoms, mangrove worms, fish, gapu and more
food and nourishment
Home ... on Country
lagoons, rivers, mangroves, floodplains
sky country
vibrating with sun, clouds, moon stars, birdsong and fruit bats
Home ... on Country
held by deep silence just behind our chatter, laughter and birdsong
and there, very present in the foreground at night
Home ... a community
where we were told,
the ancestors know you are here
and we welcome you.
It was a wonderful gift to spend time in/with the Mapuru community.
The community made us welcome, despite our arrival at a time of loss and grief.
The community provides cultural learning experiences for visitors and it also works together to repair roads, eradicate plant and other pests, keep the airstrip clear and run a small shop for the community. Food security is a big priority and there are plans for acquiring a large cool storage unit.
The school is bicultural with a strong emphasis on maintaining language, cultural knowledge and practices. The school is independent and both staff and board members are a mix of community leaders and balanda (non-Indigenous) people, with combined skills and expertise in culture, language, education, finance, policy, etc.
Communities, like individuals, have periods of flourish and vulnerability and currently the community is vulnerable. A new school principal is needed and this search has already taken over a year. Further, neither the Northern Territory government nor the Commonwealth government demonstrate adequate support for Homelands and there is a need for constant strategic thinking and planning. Indeed it is heartbreaking to hear about and see the continued impacts of colonisation trying to undermine self-determination of Mapuru and similar communities.
I am deeply grateful to the community and all who made it possible for me to visit.
I am happy to circulate information regarding both the canvasing/ recruiting a new school principal and new school board members.
I wish you well
thankyou
Nina
|
