Empower Aboriginal Women through Cultural Burning

The Firesticks Women's Network held two significant Cultural Burning workshops during 2022.   'Wiyn Kalkkalk' was hosted by Wadawurrung community on their Country in Victoria in April and the second Tasmania womens workshop was hosted by truwana community on their Country at Cape Barren Island  in May of 2022.

Wiyn Kalkkalk
Over 50 women from across Victoria, New South Wales and Far North Queensland gathered on Wadawarrung Country for the first ever Victorian Womens Firesticks Workshop: Wiyn Kalkkalk

Over two days, the women learnt about a variety of topics including policy and report writing, medicinal uses for plants and how other Traditional Owners on different landscapes utilise Good Fire to heal and care for Country. The group also participated in weaving workshops and learnt about traditional ecological practices for weaving, under the guidance of master weaver Aunty Marilyn Nicholls.

Many of the women shared how calm and connected they felt whilst weaving together. ‘It was like we were rekindling the ancestral flame & reconnecting our Women of all generations to fire.’ - Aunty Marilyne Nicholls.

The workshop was attended by generations of Grandmothers, Mothers and Daughters, walking together to learn about how healing fire can be. This special event was closed with a dance ceremony, celebrating the incredible connections and knowledge that had been shared over the past two days.

truwana
For a week in May 2022, Aboriginal women from across the eastern seaboard converged on truwana/Cape Barren Island for a Cultural Burning workshop that delivered much more than just knowledge about good fire.

truwana is a remote island in Bass Strait, returned to Aboriginal ownership in 2005 and the only Aboriginal Land in lutruwita/Tasmania with a resident population of Aboriginal people.

Participants toured the island, joined locals in cultural and community workshops and put fire into country on the south coast at Lascars Beach.

Through the many conversations that were had, the reflections from participants in the workshop was the healing nature of community and culture when combined with the coming together of strong women from many First Nations

Thank you

Towards the end of 2022, the women have been focussed on planning the very first National Women's Firesticks Workshop and preparing to attend the National Indigenous Fire Workshop to be held in Cairns in August 2023.

Your support allows Aboriginal women to continue the Good Fire all across this beautiful contient. 

Thank you. 

Links:

• Firesticks Alliance
• truwana video