Return to Majaddin: A Kimberley Homecoming
Ngarinyin Elder and community leader, Eddie Bear shares his family story with Dr Robert Hoskin, researcher and retired minister of the Uniting Church. The story begins with life in the remote land of Majaddin in the West Kimberley and continues through colonialist incursions as his family took refuge at the Munja Aboriginal feeding station on the Kimberley Coast.
Eddie and his family lived and worked on Kimberley Pastoral Stations (Kimberley Downs and Napier) before settling at Mowanjum. The book thus explores issues of Assimilation, Self-determination and Aboriginal rights through Native Title and return to homelands.
Listening to Indigenous Voices Tuesday 13 February, 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm in the Habitat Library, Minona St Auburn Dear Friends, We wish you all a happy and fruitful New Year. Our next Listening to Indigenous Voices will take place in the Library on Tuesday of February (13th) from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm. Note…
Book Launch in Melbourne with Eddie Bear The book Return to Majaddin will be launched in St Kilda, Melbourne next Sunday 19 November 12md following the St Kilda Uniting Church service. Robert Hoskin and Eddie Bear will launch their book Return to Majaddin – a Kimberley homecoming. This will be followed by refreshments. The Book…
Listening to Indigenous Voices Tuesday 12 December, 6 pm to 8 pm in the Habitat Library, Minona St Auburn We are fortunate that Janet Turpie-Johnson, a local Indigenous Elder who is currently undertaking doctoral studies at ANU will be our guest. Her thesis will be entitled- Bunjil: Patterns the mess of the past and the future…
Eddie as a traditional owner of Majaddin is concerned for the future of his children and Aboriginal children in the Kimberley, WA. He continues his family vision:
When we first went up to that country we had my mother there with us. She sang out to the Wanjina, “This is my young’ns, they all here, my children.”
He welcomes others to Majaddin:
Well, it was real something, you know, to see other people look at, to see, my country. They listened to the stories we told about the way the old people lived. Non-Indigenous people could understand and even our young ones too.
Eddie Bear
Eddie is a Ngarinyin Elder who lives in the Mowanjum community and has served as chairman of the council on and off over the past twenty years. He received the Horizon Power for his leadership, in 2012.
Dr Robert Hoskin
Robert has supported the Mowanjum community for more than 15 years, completing doctoral studies at the Australian Catholic University. His work explored the collaborative relationship between Mowanjum families as the returned to their traditional lands. His dissertation embraced trans-cultural collaboration, Native Title, Aboriginal studies, Reconciliation and other issues.
Many of our recent journeys to Majaddin have been a collaborative endeavour with the Boab Network: established in 2008 under the auspice of the Floreat Uniting Church congregation. It is a community of people assisting and supporting the Mowanjum community.
Robert completed a doctoral dissertation Beyond Collaboration: transcultural journeys in Kimberley, which explores collaborative relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people as traditional owners engage their lands. Read the thesis and other Rob’s articles.
This work is set within the history and context of the MOWANJUM ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY, situated the Gibb River Road near Derby in the Kimberley WA. The community hosts a magnificent Arts Centre which offers information on Aboriginal culture and a variety of artworks.
Robert’s work in the Kimberley has focused on listening to Indigenous voices, and as part of the Boab Network, responding to a variety of concerns from Aboriginal health issues, governmental policies, Aboriginal rights and Native Title. He and others are intent on raising local awareness through groups in Melbourne under the title Listening to Indigenous voices.
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