Geoff Hellisma
‘Keeping Our Stories’ is an exhibition (July 4 to Sunday July 24 in the Old Kirk at Yamba Museum) featuring twenty-five stunning black and white portraits of Yaegl elders.
A book of the same name, which features Yaegl elders’ stories, will be launched at the Museum this Friday July 22 at 10.30am – the book can be purchased for $44.
The project began in 2018 when renowned photographer Brian Corlis visited the Lower Clarence and photographed a selection of elders. Mr Corlis took 18 portraits in 2018, with the remainder taken by Yaegl artists Frances Belle Parker in 2021 and Deborah Breckenridge in 2022.
Sadly, we have lost some of our Yaegl elders since this project began, but with permission from the families, their portraits will be on display.
Images: contributed
The general public is invited to attend the book launch, along with participating elders and their families, to honour past and present Yaegl elders.
The project, which is supported by Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation and the Yaegl elders, was funded by the NSW Government.
Aboriginal viewers are advised that the exhibition contains names, images and voices of people who have passed.
NAIDOC Week 2022 opened with a ceremony at the museum on Monday July 4, to celebrate the strengths and resilience of Aboriginal culture.
Emcee Frances Belle Parker encouraged elders to tell their stories. “We all must continue to Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! for systemic change and keep rallying around our mob, our elders, our communities,” she said.
“Whether it’s seeking proper environmental, cultural and heritage protections, constitutional change, a comprehensive process of truth-telling, working towards treaties, or calling out racism – we must do it together.”
She also acknowledged those guests who had led change, “the heroes and champions of change, of equal rights and even basic human rights” – some of whom feature in the Keeping Our Stories photographic portrait exhibition.
Historical society president Lesley Pickering informed the crowd of the museum’s efforts in getting the installation of a second flagpole for the Aboriginal flag and gave a brief description of the flag’s history and its symbolic significance.
The inaugural hoisting of the Aboriginal flag at Yamba Museum, flying proudly in the Yaegl Cultural Garden, was managed by Auntie Elizabeth and Ferline Laurie, with Cr Karen Toms and Lesley Pickering supporting.
This respectful event created a comradery and joyous recognition of culture, none more so than the acapella song sung in Yaegl by Kerri McLeay.
The Keeping our Stories photographic portrait exhibition opened at the beginning of NAIDOC Week on Monday July 4 and is open until this Sunday July 24 – the public is invited to the launch of the book of the same name at 10.30am this Friday July 22.