Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation produced a short film, titled Walking Our Songlines, for truth telling and education, and to inspire Stolen Generations Survivors, their families, and communities.
The film was launched yesterday, 29 April 2021, in the presence of our beautiful Coota Survivors, their families and our supporters, on Gadigal Country – NCIE in Sydney. Our audience enjoyed Welcome by Uncle Allen, and smoking ceremony and deadly performances by Koomurri, before settling in to hear introductions by Aunty Lorraine, Margo Leach and Meagan Gerrard and finally to view Walking Our Songlines.
“We continue Walking Our Songlines with our ancestors’ and trailblazers – which demonstrates our resilience – doing our part to work toward healing and reconciliation” Meagan Gerrard – Coota Girls descendant
This important new educational resource features four Coota Girls’ descendants: Peter Townsend, Cherie Johnson, Joanne Cassady and Bobby-Ann Trindall, as they share their stories of connection and culture, and how this is critically important to their healing from the impacts of forced removals on the families and communities of the Stolen Generations.
Walking Our Songlines captures the history of forced removals and institutionalisation of former residents of the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls Home (1912-1969).
The short film promotes a greater awareness of Stolen Generations history and its impacts on subsequent generations, known as intergenerational trauma.
It brings greater awareness of Aboriginal culture so that all communities, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, understand the importance of kin, country, culture, and spirit in healing.
The stories of four Coota Girls’ descendants explores their lived experience and how they have maintained connections – despite the impacts of forced removal and intergenerational trauma ¬– and inspires hope as they share their culture with future generations, other Stolen Generations families, and the wider community.
The Board and team at Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation would like to thank all in attendance and all who were able to view the launch via Facebook, despite the technical difficulties we experienced.
Please contact us at meagan@cootagirls.org.au for further information on our resource or any media enquires.