Headstone Ceremony in Ban'thula | Homeland Dreaming Ep. 30

Homeland families gathered together to remember once again a young life lost well-loved by all. This is a Headstone Ceremony, a first organised by Dilipuma Dhamarrandji. What grief for a Father to bury his Son.

[@sophiagarrkali6500]

Very honorable for a very special boy 💯😢 R.I.P LGB 💚🖤🖤💚

[@user-vm2sl2td4x]

07:00..whats the name of the song please..

[@homelandherweynens]

Djarrak. (sea gull) :)

[@mickzammit6794]

Headstone ceremony? How even is a headstone part of Aboriginal custom and practice?

[@homelandherweynens]

Yolngu can choose to incorporate outside influences, such as a headstone, into their process of grieving. Did you see the traditional elements in the ceremony?

[@mickzammit6794]

@@homelandherweynens I saw the traditional elements in the ceremony. It just seems a shame to see them making the same drift as the Torres strait islanders who always rave on about culture but live the opposite.

[@homelandherweynens]

@@mickzammit6794 I've never lived in the Torres Strait so won't have a reliable opinion on similarities. Interested to hear which aspects you reckon the drift is most apparent.

[@mickzammit6794]

Torres strait culture is long gone whatever the opinion. Modernisation and adaptation to outside influences are regarded as traditional. Dressing up in bright colours and banging on drums before gorging on turtle and dugong are really the only ties to the past. But even those things made possible by modernisation and outside influence. There's nothing that is truly of the land. I grew up among displaced Aboriginals at a time when white culture was considered very scary by murris. And then came the freedom to drink alcohol and act as aggressive and stupid as white blokes. Even then a great many of the people lived as close to traditional ties as possible. I know modernisation is inevitable but adapting the Asian practice of tombstone covering and ceremony just seemed so far from those quiet humble old mob from long ago that it feels more like a conquering of the spirit. I don't know if you'll know what I mean. But that's the best I can explain what I felt when I saw that video.

[@homelandherweynens]

Thanks for engaging,@@mickzammit6794. I think I understand that sense of a conquering of the spirit. Whilst there is that in some areas and is heartbreaking, my experience in homeland life is more hopeful. We still get to see and participate in the beauty and strength of traditional ways of being & knowing.