We had been putting together content for the First Nations Festival in our local area Gindaaydjin (meaning place of many stones). However, due mostly to Covid-19, the festival was cancelled, and we were forced to rethink how we can share the important messages captured. It has always been deeply important to Shane (Jukembal elder) that First Nation people be given the opportunity to celebrate their local heritage here in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales or as it is traditionally known, Ngoorabul, Kamilaroi, Anaiwan, Banbai, Dhanggati, Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr country. These Nations extend from Tenterfield to Kempsey, and include the towns and cities of Armidale, Inverell, Glen Innes, Tamworth, Lismore, Grafton, and Coffs Harbour, plus many other regional centres. 

A bit of back story of why these videos are so important; up until 1953, the Aboriginal Nations of the Highlands would meet for ceremonies, such as initiations and celebrations, and one of those places where celebrations and corroborees were held was just west of Drake in Bundjalung Country. In the lead up to 1953, it was becoming more dangerous for Aboriginal people to go and from festivals. At the 1953 gathering, a confederacy of Nations from around our region decided that to preserve and save lives, all future ceremonies would be cancelled, and the ceremonial spears were burned.

This was a real loss for the people of our area. To save lives, elders made the decision to forgo a traditional way to teach culture, language, and lore to save lives. 

Shane wishes to revive these traditions and to highlight their importance to wellbeing through listening, learning, understanding and sharing what we can through documentation. These videos are like remote gatherings and ways to share lessons from one person to the next. They do more than just share knowledge, they also give the interviewees a chance to be heard and to be seen.

Our shared goal has been to interview Indigenous people about their fields of expertise, and amplify their voices and strengthen their message of self-determination. The interviews range in topic from traditional fire burning and land management integration to the importance of self-expression through connecting with traditional practices. To date we have interviewed, recorded and edited five interviews and the hope is we can continue to share more.