Kelly Watson’s Post

#History4Reconciliation Please share these videos between now and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation!

Statia recently joined Saba and St Maarten in hosting the weeklong 4th Dutch Caribbean Heritage Platform. The Statia leg of the programme included tours to heritage sites, including the Dutch Reform Church, the synagogue and Lower Town, as well as workshops and plenary sessions. The SSS islands have a rich heritage that encompasses a blend of Dutch, African, European and Caribbean influences, resulting in a unique cultural tapestry. Heritage plays a crucial role in shaping the cultural identity of communities. By preserving and celebrating their heritage, the people of these islands can maintain a sense of belonging and connection to their past. The heritage of these islands reflects their historical significance as former colonies and trading outposts. Understanding this heritage is essential for gaining insights into the islands' history, including their interactions with European colonisers and the impact of the transatlantic slave trade. #gisstatia #culturalheritage #islandlife #visiting #GettingInFormation

Please share these #history4reconciliation videos between now and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation!

Excellent article highlighting the importance of cultural liaisons. In this case, Ms. Jessie Pa'ahana at USACE. "Pa’ahana is serving as the cultural liaison for USACE’s disaster response. Recognizing the significant culture and history unique to Maui and the affected communities, Pa’ahana’s primary goal is to bridge the expertise of local community and cultural leaders with USACE’s debris clean-up efforts." https://lnkd.in/e4u5wSju

Wounded Tigris is a revelation on post-war Iraq, a history of ancient of Mesopotamia, and Leon's personal, substantive observations of human beings surmounting challenges that are predicable and unpredictable given the tragic circumstances facing the nation of Iraq. It's an amazing journey told by an outstanding storyteller. Want to open new windows on your world? Read it. https://lnkd.in/ereN_cvr

Did you know that today is the Anniversary of the Torres Strait Islander Flag? This week we’re sharing information and resources to recognise and raise awareness of the significant dates throughout National Reconciliation Week. The Torres Strait Islander flag was created by the late Bernard Namok Sr in 1992 as part of a design competition. The flag was created as a symbol of unity and identity for Torres Strait Islander peoples. The cultures and traditions of Torres Strait Islanders are strongly connected to the land, sea and sky — elements which are represented in the flag. • Green panels: represent the land • Blue panel: represent the sea • Black lines: represent the Torres Strait Islander people • White: white dhari (dancer’s headdress) which is a prominent symbol to Torres Strait Islander peoples culture, five-pointed star Underneath the Dhari headdress reflects the five island groups in the Torres Strait, navigation of the sea and peace. In 1992 the Torres Strait Islander flag was given equal prominence with the Aboriginal flag, both of which would go on to be declared as Flags of Australia under the Flags Act 1953. To learn more about the Torres Strait Islander flag visit - https://ow.ly/woLT50RXaLz Or find out more about the history, geography and culture of the Torres Strait Islands - https://ow.ly/f3pP50RXaLA #ReconciliationWeek #TorresStraitIslanderFlag

What is Country? 'Country' is incredibly important to First Nations across the Australian continent. But what is Country exactly? "Country is everything to us. It's more than a word, Country. Country is everything. It's where we get our identity from... it all comes from Country: our dances, our stories, our songs, and our language, our food, all comes from ngurambang [Wiradjuri concept of Country]... We hold country at a very, very high value because we think of it, well it is our mother, like a mother that nurtures you, gives you everything you need to sustain a healthy life." - Luke Wighton, Wiradjuri "Giz ged [Meriam concept of Country] is the place of origin, it is where your heart calls back to, it's a way of knowing, being and doing that is completely connected to space without necessarily having to be connected to that place. So, this idea of being able to carry these concepts into different places and spaces is also really profoundly important... It is around understanding ourselves as completely and utterly connected to different places and spaces, where we feel the full expression of ourselves being realised." - Professor Kerry Arabena, Meriam descendant Gemma Pol of Common Ground shares other First Nations understandings of Country: https://lnkd.in/e5YVuvwk Deborah Bird Rose provides a disciplinary (anthropological), non-indigenous understanding of Country in her 1998 work "Nourishing terrains: Australian Aboriginal views of landscape and wilderness" https://lnkd.in/ev6Q2RCz

Start planning your Greek island escape. Explore this guide to the must-visit Greek islands. https://lnkd.in/dusrzHX3

Welcome to our comprehensive guide to Turtle Island North America Map. If you've ever wondered about the origins of the name "Turtle Island" or want to explore the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous territories in North America, you're in the right place. Turtle Island, also known as North America, holds a profound significance in Indigenous history and culture. #Indigenousplacenames #Indigenousterritories #mapofturtleislandnorthamerica #Tribalboundaries #turtleislandmapnorthamerica #TurtleIslandNorthAmericaMap

As we move through NAIDOC week, it is important to recognise that the South Australian Museum has possession of around 3,700 South Australian Indigenous ancestoral remains and 4,000 restricted (secret, sacred) objects, which have been removed from country, documented, stored, sampled, researched and are now slowly being returned to the descendants of those ancestors. The return of stolen ancestors and objects is an important process. It is critical that the decendants of these ancestors are resourced adequately, to ensure that the return to and restoration on country is done in a culturally appropriate and inclusive, not tokenistic fashion. The Warlpiri Project is a step toward this.