Australia Day Vigil 2020
Members of the Dominican Family were part of a large gathering of First Nations and multi-national peoples at Barangaroo (Sydney) on Saturday 25 January. The occasion was the commemoration of 250 years of survival of aboriginal culture and the journey that all Australians have undertaken together over these years.
Inspired by the Makarrata, the ‘coming together after a struggle’ at Uluru, the Vigil organising committee asked: ‘What else must we do to journey as one people?’
They identified three elements:
- ceremony/ritual;
- storytelling together;
- cleansing.
From the Town Hall, down George Street, the city was cleansed with fire and smoke. Then water from Sydney Harbour was splashed en route to Barangaroo. Hundreds of people in procession joined thousands waiting in silence at an open air ampitheatre for Welcome to Country, speeches-from-the-heart, dancing, storytelling, singing and reflection.
The setting was enhanced by a large circle of 250 flagpoles, each bearing the aboriginal flag and boats in the background sailing east and west along the harbour. The spirit of our feisty female ancestor, Barangaroo, was indeed with us!
(The Barangaroo Vigil was televised by NITV)