George Demi, local Kija and Jaru man, hopes that the Men's Tribal Centre can help young Aboriginal people reconnect with their culture, find their strength, and walk towards a better future.
George Demi (Kija and Jaru) is a local community leader who is working alongside Aboriginal Elders to establish a Men’s Tribal Centre in Halls Creek.
‘One thing about this place [Men’s Tribal Centre] is that we can go back to the old days again. This new generation now, when the drugs came in – we didn’t have drugs back in the days – we used to live and hunt on the land,’ said George.
‘Another thing is that we don’t have a lot of Old People alive, so we got to pass it on to the next generation that’s growing up and put them through lore and culture and keep them strong again. For lore and culture, it comes from the old parents – from their mothers and fathers, their great grandmothers, and back to the old days. [We can] teach that, that it wasn’t like this, that we never grew up like this’.
The Men’s Tribal Centre is located on Halls Creek’s former golf course, which is historically a traditional Aboriginal ceremonial grounds. The Men’s Tribal Centre will be a culturally safe space for Aboriginal men to come together, for young people to learn from local Elders, and for non-Aboriginal people to connect with the timeless Aboriginal cultures in the area.
The Men’s Tribal Centre is an initiative led by Olabud Doogethu Aboriginal Corporation, the Shire of Halls Creek, and the Elder’s Reference Group.
If you are interested in supporting Olabud Doogethu’s efforts to bring together a Men’s Tribal Centre in Halls Creek, you can contact Larry Smith on 9168 6007.
