SHARED Connections celebrated the history and ongoing culture of the First Nations people in Swan Hill through song and dance on Sunday.
Swan Hill Rural City Council Aboriginal community development officer Jacinta Chaplin said she was pleased with how Shared Connections went and proud of the men who took on leadership.
“Shared Connections is an event that acknowledges that January 26 is a day of reflection of the past,” she said.
“It’s a chance to acknowledge the true history, both national and local.”
“It is not a day of blame or a day of ignorance.
“Through honest conversations and respect, we can have unity for future generations.”
The Marruk Project men and boys performed a cultural dance that represented the way the community has survived in the changing eras of modern Australia.
Marruk translates to place of the platypus, which is the cultural name for Swan Hill and is inclusive of all Aboriginal people living in the area.
Project manager Cianna Chaplin said it showed the survival of their culture.
“It showed that throughout the times, our culture has stayed the same,” she said.
Choreographer Imparja Pettit said he arranged the dance into three sections; now, pioneer times and traditional times.
“The dancers went through the stages with costume changes, showcasing how we kept culture alive and strong despite the hurdles we have faced,” he said.
“We have found our own way of keeping our traditions alive.”
Mr Pettit concentrated on the dance being a mode of storytelling.
“Our dances used to be our stories, and that’s how my ancestors have made sure they preserved their knowledge,” he said.
“I’ve had knowledge passed to me and now I’m the next generation, I’m on a path to becoming an Elder, and I will pass that knowledge on and become an ancestor when I die.
“It’s a responsibility that I carry with me every day, alongside the pressures of society and of being a black man in society.”
Mr Pettit’s son also participated in the dance.
“It made me reflect on how I was as a kid and how I want to show him how to be black and proud,” he said.
“Our young boys know they are black, but they don’t know how to be proud, so I want to show my son how to be proud of his culture.”
As part of the performance, Mr Pettit taught the crowd a dance and invited them to join.
“I am so appreciative of the people who showed up and got up and got involved, the whole environment felt really nice to have everyone participating,” he said.
“Next year, the dance is going to be even bigger and better.”
The event continued with demonstrations of damper making with both modern and traditional methods, making of a didgeridoo and the Marruk Project Choir’s performance of Uncle Kutcha Edwards’ Future Anthem with permission.
The community was also invited to sign a possum skin.
Community members were presented Matakupay Leadership Awards, which recognises those people as those who are on the pathway to becoming community Elders, as nominated by their peers.
Uncle Rick Kirby, Elsa Kirby, Steve Moore, Melinda Loates, Bree Clay, Allira Fry, Laurel Baxter, Bayden Clayton, Conner Arif and Imparja Pettit were presented with the award.
More information on these award winners will come in a later edition.
The Marruk Project has been around for several years, and project manager Cianna Chaplin said the Shared Connections of the past two years had been a relaunch of sorts.
“Along with the Shared Connections events, we are going to perform a new stage show in October that is currently under development,” she said.
The whole community is welcome to participate in the consultation to develop the show’s story line.
Consultation sessions will be held at the Town Hall from 11am to 2pm on Thursday, February 13, and Friday, February 14.
