A most significant event occurred at Karinya House on Tuesday, 24 October 2023.  We were thankful to welcome Selina Walker, local emerging elder, accompanied by her Aunty Annette Shea, to Karinya House yesterday for Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony.

This was a very special time, both from a physical and from a healing perspective, attended by current residents, their babies and children, Karinya volunteers, Committee and staff. Selina spent time welcoming us, taking the smoke through all buildings including residences, and sharing learnings with us all about the smoking and how we can take learnings with us in our individual lives also.

Thank you, Selina and Aunty Annette, for being with us and for the gift of Welcome and Cleansing.

As part of the introduction to the Smoking Ceremony, Services Director, Belinda Munn noted “Now more than ever we need to work together to ensure that our Acknowledgement of Country is more than words. Collectively and individually, we need to put this respect and acknowledgement into action every day, in whatever way we can. We must speak and act to ensure that the sovereignty of this country’s First Nations People is recognised, valued, learned from and respected.”

Always is, always will be, Aboriginal Land.    Images shared with permission.