STRENGTH is being instilled in Aboriginal children from a young age.
As part of the NAIDOC Week celebrations in Swan Hill, 18 babies and children were anointed at a Baby Welcome to Country ceremony at the Lower Murray Inn.
The children were anointed by local Wamba Wamba identity Vicki Clark.
Ms Clark said the babies were anointed on their head to think good things, on their ears to hear good things, on their eyes to see good things, on their mouth to say good things, and on their chest to always have good things in their heart.
“Traditionally, when the babies were born, a woman would melt down the fat of the local animal – kangaroo, emu, goanna – then they would rub the oil on the baby to keep the baby strong,” Ms Clark said.
The first Baby Welcome to Country was held in Swan Hill in 2014, and the ceremony has since become a major part of the annual NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) celebrations in Swan Hill.
Ms Clark said it was an honour to anoint the children, especially “on country”.
“It was beautiful,” she said. “It’s much better than to do it in a building somewhere.
“To do it on country with the river behind me – makes you feel strong.”
Wamba Wamba Elder Aunty Stephanie Charles said the baby ceremony was a way of bringing culture to the children, and impacting on the children’s strength and spirituality.
“I think it’s a good thing we do this because back in the days, there was such an impact with how we were deprived – missing out and not being recognised, and the loss of language and the cultural loss – and so this is one strong way of reclaiming,” she said.
The event began with a Welcome to Country, smoking ceremony and a performance by play group who sang heads, shoulders, knees and toes in Wamba Wamba language, and showcased Australian animals through performance.
