Indigenous Quarterly Update

It has been a very busy quarter, with community and stakeholder engagements, in addition to NRW & NAIDOC Week Celebrations. It was wonderful to see some of our hard working site staff, also participating in events, far & wide, along with community & clients. A big shout out to Andrew, from Central FRT Blue Crew, …voted as best dancer!

We have also, just completed our annual RAP Impact Survey, to Reconciliation Australia, which details our ongoing commitment and partnerships in this area. Something each and every employee should be deservedly proud of. Did you know we are 1 of only 23 QLD based private sector organisations that have a Stretch RAP, endorsed by Reconciliation Australia? And the only Emergency Services, Security & Training company that has one!

Due to a most recent visit with the Anangu Peoples, at Uluru, we now have a hand carved LIRU (King Brown Snake), which will soon take up residence, near our Indigenous Art Wall & Stairway to Reconciliation, in the Head Office. This is the Story of the Uluru Snakes:

Uluru is surrounded by the presence of two ancestral beings:    Kuniya, the Python, & Liru, the King Brown.

 

Kuniya came from far away in the east to hatch her children at Uluru, & hunt in the nearby sandhills. As she left and entered her campsite, she formed deep grooves in the rock. These grooves are still there, today.

One day, Kuniya had to draw on all her physical and magical powers to avenge the death of her young nephew, as he had previously enraged a group of Liru, (venomous brown snakes), who travelled from the south-west to take revenge on him. They, saw him resting at the base of Uluru and rushed him, hurling their spears. Many hit the rock face with such force that they pierced it, leaving a series of round holes. Although outnumbered, he dodged what he could, but eventually fell to his death.

When this news reached his aunt, on the other side of Uluru, she was overcome with grief and anger. She raced along the curves of the rock to Mutitjulu Waterhole, where she confronted one of the Liru warriors, who mocked her grief and rage.

She began a dance of immense power and magic, whilst moving towards the Liru warrior, scooping up sand to cover her body. Her rage was so great it spread like a poison, saturating the area at that time. In a fearsome dance, with her anger beyond restraint she took up her Wana, or digging stick, and struck the head of the Liru.

He fell dead, dropping his shield near Mutitjulu Waterhole, where Kuniya herself remains as a sinuous black line on the eastern wall of Uluru. The blows she struck are two deep cracks on the western wall, and Liru’s shield, now remains as a large boulder, where it fell.

Kind Regards,
Aunty Lorraine