Always was, always will be
WHAT DOES JAN 26TH MEAN?
"Ask any sociologist and they will tell you that inequality and exclusion breed hate, sadness and war. Imagine your at home about to eat dinner with your family, a group of uninvited strangers arrive at your house with guns and alcohol in hand, they kick down the door, remove your children for the dinner table, shoot your grandparents, take your partner as their slave, remove you from the dinner table and take their own seats at your dinner table, announcing to you and your family that your house is now theirs and that your food is now theirs.
Imagine you stand outside of your home cold, hungry and alone.
So imagine when a day comes around that celebrates this ongoing event of the death of your kin, slavery, stolen wages, stolen children, stolen land, and the attempt at the destruction of a culture that has been alive since time in memorial on this planet we all call home.
26th of January is a day that is not inclusive. It's a day that celebrates inequality in this country. It's a day that says 97% of our population can celebrate the injustices made to thousands and thousands of innocent Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people in the name of advancement and expansion of the British empire.
Through this celebration the nation is condoning the continual attempt to destroy Indigenous culture, lands, waters and our more than human kin.
To celebrate this day is to say I celebrate discrimination, inequality, and climate change. I celebrate politicians' ever growing wallets, celebrate big corporations who don't pay taxes, celebrate capitalism, celebrate mining and extraction of resources, celebrate incarceration of children, celebrate the degradation of soils, land and waters and the celebration of attempted genocide and continual theft of land, culture and children.
January 26 is not just a day of mourning for Indigenous people, It should be a day of mourning for all peoples, the day of mourning for what we have all lost, our birthright to live within a system of balance, reciprocity, connection, equity and harmony."
~ ELLA BANCROFT
(Bundjalung woman and founder of The Returning)
Ella Noah Bancroft is a proud Bundjalung Woman who has bloodlines to Poland and Scotland.
Indigenous born artist, published author, mentor, consultant and founder of “The Returning Indigenous Corporation”. Ella is an experienced speaker and facilitator advocating for the environment, social justice and system change.
Through her writing and work Ella has been promoting re-wilding, the rise of the female energy, as a way back to deepen the relationship with nature and decolonizing of personal, social and ecological well-being for 10 years.
Ella started The Returning in 2018 as a not-for-profit event and slowly has grown the organisation into a registered Indigenous Charity with a majority Indigenous female board. The Returning was birthed an Indigenous charity that brings health and wellness through a nature based approach and connection back to the country led by Indigenous facilitators.
The Returning offers programs for all people:
Camps for Elders, Men, Women and Jarjums
Postpartum care for Indigenous Mothers
Weekends for Women
Indigenous health connection retreats and Youth programs
Annual arts and culture retreat for west Bundjalung peoples
We offer full scholarships to all Indigenous peoples for our programs and single mother scholarships for our women's gathering.
Please support us and we continue to work hard for women, Indigenous people and mothers.
You can donate directly to The Returning here.
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