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Brisbane Aboriginal Embassy celebrates first anniversary
Veteran activist Wayne ‘Coco‘ Wharton (left) and Jaggera Elder Arjin Warrugara (right) prepare for ceremony in Musgrave Park to mark the first anniversay of the Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy. IMAGE: Callum Clayton-Dixon
By Callum Clayton-Dixon Nganyaywana
According to Embassy together and talk about the issues that are going on in our community”. spokesperson Wayne ‘Coco’ Wharton, the anniversary celebrations were Praising the Embassy’s After twelve months of making “a testament to the many volunteers contribution to the Brisbane First its mark on Musgrave Park and who’ve held true to the fire”. Nations community, Mr Spearim joining the national struggle for “This is a time when we need First Nations’ rights, the Brisbane said he was “waiting for something strong people to come together like this to come along for a very, Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy and maintain our presence here [in very long time”. (BASE) celebrated its first Musgrave Park],” said Mr Wharton, anniversary on March 24. “I’ve been marching through the a Kooma man and longtime Around one hundred supporters streets my whole life, so when this sovereign-rights campaigner. “Every gathered in the park for a corroboree [Embassy] came up it was a very time we light up what they say is to mark this milestone in the big blessing, to have our own place ‘just a fire’ and our practice our Embassy’s turbulent history. ceremony, we win.” and space to learn about and share issues that affect us within our own The day featured ceremony, reMr Wharton considers the communities,” said Mr Spearim, lighting of the sacred fire, planting Embassy to be a prime example of a Brisbane local. “It comes back of native trees to honour past self-determination for First Nations community heroes, traditional song to Aboriginal people looking after people. Aboriginal people. That’s what the and dance as well as a number of “We’re keeping that fire alive, and embassy has provided for.” speeches. we’re keeping that connection to our A yarning circle for young First law. These are things that our old 27-year-old Gamilaraay man Paul Spearim Jr. believes such gatherings Nations people was also held during people weren’t allowed to do. Our old people were put on concentration “are important to our people” and which issues such as identity and camps, locked up, beaten. If we... “an opportunity for us to come cultural revival were discussed. April 3, 2013
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WHARTON: 2013 is the battle for Musgrave Park night at the weekly meetings. Coals from the Canberra Embassy’s sacred fire were brought back to Musgrave Park from the lawns of Old Parliament House following the 1972 Embassy’s 40th anniversary last January. In its first year, BASE held a number of marches, sit-ins, corroborees and conferences. Delegations were also sent to the Nyoongar Embassy in Perth, national meetings in Canberra, the 12th anniversary of the Wollongong Paul Spearim Jr. and Paul Spearim Sr. performing traditional Gamilaraay songs (NSW) Embassy and up to Yarrabah (north-QLD) for the World in Musgrave Park for the Embassy’s first anniversary. IMAGE: Brendon Qu Indigneous Elders Gathering. ...don’t exercise our religion, our hundreds of police invaded the site in “We’ve got a big year ahead,” rights and our cultural practices, an attempt to evict the activists and said Mr Wharton. “This year is the then we let our old people down and extinguish the sacred fire. battle for Musgrave Park, and we everything that they fought for. To see Although the Embassy no longer have to win it. There’s no coming our people, our young men and women has a physical presence in the park back second best.” come out and get involved is great.” (tents etc.) as it did prior to the second A national corroboree will take The Embassy made national eviction on December 12 last year, the place at the Canberra Tent Embassy on April 27. headlines twice last year when sacred fire is relit every Wednesday
April 3, 2013
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