Mother Eingana Dreaming Speaks: Woggan-mugule Dawning Ceremony in Sydney!

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WE -- Dreamtime Womanity -- Returns ...

. . . in All Our Resplendant Earthy Colours!

 

http://www.abc.net.au/message/blackarts/culture/s1289474.htm

 

http://www.abc.net.au/message/blackarts/culture/s1293489.htm

 

see the websites before they dissappear!

 

 

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Woggan-mugule Dawn Ceremony in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens

 

Published 26/01/2005  AEDT

Reporter: Nancia Guivarra

 

The 4th annual Woggan-ma-gule ceremony today was a beautiful statement of

Indigenous people's survival in Australia. Many Australians struggle to find

meaning on a day that has diverse commemorations around the country.

Woggan-muggale, the official Australia day dawn ceremony drew an audience of

around 300 people at the old settlement foreshore lines of Farm Cove. NEXT

--->Doonooch Dancer's Didgeridu player opens the ceremony

 

The opening featured the Doonooch Dancers, the Garrabarra Dance Company and

Emma Donovan all brought together by Artistic Director, Rhoda Roberts.

Along with its spiritual significance for Indigenous people the ceremony helps

to educate the community about the culture and traditions of Sydney’s

Indigenous peoples through their dance performances and a smoking ceremony

which traditionally cleanses the land and people ready for a fresh start.

 

The ceremony was a moving performance that took audiences through a range of

emotions beginning with a welcome and acknowledgement of the Gadigal people.

Then the ancestors of the land were acknowledged in a "Shell" dance during

which Emma Donovan, of the Gumbaynggirr nation, sang "Feathers" while the

Garrabarra dancers accompanied her. The performance of "Feathers" which first

featured in 2003's Sydney Dreaming event, acknowledges women's role in

community and call for big rains to come and cleanse the land and bring on new

growth.

 

The men then performed a "Bloodletting", an acknowledgement of the Creator

featuring a tribute to the spirits through a symbolic bloodletting by the men.

Both groups ended the performance with a traditional Farewell. After the

performance, during question time, Doonoch Dancer Joe explained that in their

language a farewell did not mean forever but til we see you again next time.

 

After the performances the Governor Marie Bashir acknowledge the formal start

to Australia Day and with the NSW Aboriginal Affairs Minister thanked the

dancers, and Rhoda Roberts. Audiences didn't leave at that point however, they

stayed on, many taking the opportunity to take photographs of the dancers and

later around 50 people participated in a question and answer about the

significance of the ceremony they had witnesses.

 

Questions asked by the audience, including many overseas people, showed that

tourists were curious about the culture, treatment and acknowledgement of

Indigenous people in Australia.

 

 

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