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The Garma Festival is the Yothu Yindi Foundation’s (YYF’s)
annual showcase event but, behind the scenes, the Foundation is active in
supporting a range of other practical social, cultural and economic
initiatives that all contribute to the maintenance and propagation of
traditional Yolngu culture.
One of the most recent of these initiatives is Dilthan Yolngunha: The Healing
Place, a groundbreaking community respite and
rehabilitation service at Gulkula, near Nhulunbuy in North East Arnhem
Land. It was set up in May 2007 under a trial sponsored by YYF and has proven
extremely beneficial to all involved.
 At
Dilthan Yolngunha, Yolngu women led by artist and senior healer Gulumbu
Yunupingu are treating Indigenous people through traditional healing
practices, using medicines from the 'bush pharmacy' and time-honoured
cultural practices and traditions.
“It is a mini-hospital,” said Ms Yunupingu. “The patient has
the treatment. After the treatment, maybe in the evening, we put on a
musical or someone to sing songs for dancing or make them happy. Not just
treat them and leave them there.”
Dilthan Yolngunha specialises in using traditional medicine
and treatment methods to treat people suffering from ailments such as
depression, drug addiction and cancer.
Given its popularity and desire to generate its own income,
Dilthan Yolngunha has decided to market its services on a limited
commercial basis. Beginning at the start of the 2008 dry season, Dilthan
Yolngunha will extend an invitation to non-Yolngu visitors who want to
learn from and experience these traditional, holistic healing techniques in
a remote bush setting.
Dilthan Yolngunha will be offering a three-day “Healing
Tourism” program with a focus on traditional healers, bush medicines and
foods, and wellbeing through connections to land and Yolngu culture. This
is an opportunity for a genuine culturally aware travel experience where
participants will learn first-hand about landscape, bush craft,
spirituality and traditional Yolngu medicine.
The three-day program has been developed by senior Yolngu
women as a way of sharing their knowledge and preserving their traditional
healing systems. Traditional herbalists and masseurs will be on-hand, and
opportunities for questions, observation and demonstrations will be
scattered throughout the program.
“Our mission is to establish a good working relationship
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous medicine,” said Ms Yunupingu. “This
is about showcasing our healing and proving it is equally important as the
white man’s tablets.”
One of the long-term goals is to eventually establish more
Healing Places in Arnhem Land.
Be a foundation sponsor of The Healing Place. Your pledge of
$100 will help fund this trial.
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