On Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 December, the Mullewa Healing Forum was held for the Mullewa community in Midwest Western Australia.

“It is overdue that well-meaning non-Aboriginal people step back and allow and support Aboriginal people to lead initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people."

WA Centre for Rural Health Director, Professor Sandra Thompson

Over a 2-year period Aboriginal staff from the WA Centre for Rural Health (WACRH) of the University of Western Australia worked with Mullewa community leaders to co-design the forum.

The Aboriginal led and designed program “Mullewa Healing Forum 2023: Healing Together” was the first of its kind to be run in Mullewa and saw nearly 190 participants attend over the two days.  

Image: Derise Jones from Julgara Maga Aboriginal Mental Health Training Geraldton presenting at the Mullewa Healing Forum.

Mullewa woman Debra Maher said “It was good bringing people together of all age groups.  We live in the same town, and we hardly talk to each other like this, it was especially important to see Mullewa District High School bring the young students to the Healing Forum.”

Participants came together from Mullewa, Geraldton, and Perth to share healing conversations focusing on care and healing for self, family, and the community. They participated in yarning circles, healing doll making, bush medicines, weaving, art, and other cultural forms of healing on country.

Badimaya Yamaji dollmaker Catherine Bynder led the healing doll making workshops, weaving with Menang artist Roni Kerley, Wajarri Wangga (talk) with Wajarri speaker Wendy Merry, and bush medicines with Wajarri health practitioner Gwen Rakabula. Elder Leedham Papertalk (Snr) and his family provided connection to Yamaji culture through hunting for bush food for the bush food feasts each day.

Image: Badimaya Yamaji dollmaker Catherine Bynder with husband Michael Bynder.

Additionally, First Nation healing practitioners’ workshops were led by Josh Joseph from Centacare Geraldton, Gwen Rakabula, Sophia Clark and Ashley Cameron from the Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (GRAMS) Social Emotional Well-being team, Derise Jones from Julgara Maga Aboriginal Mental Health Training, and Intergenerational trauma informed practitioner Rayleen Councillor from Barrowa Consultancy.

Mullewa born woman Delys Ring shared her family’s powerful story of intergenerational trauma as a part of healing yarning for community members. Michael Bynder from Perth spoke of his journey of setting up four Aboriginal Men’s Sheds in Perth and what it could mean for Aboriginal men in the Mullewa and Geraldton community on their journey of healing.

Proud Yamaji woman and WACRH Research Fellow Dr Charmaine Green said that it was great to see the community to come together, make connections, and utilise Yamaji cultural aspects of healing.  

“We had hoped the forum would offer respite from some of the hardships our community come up against and offer a safe space to heal together,” says Dr Green.

WACRH Director Professor Sandra Thompson says, “It is overdue that well-meaning non-Aboriginal people step back and allow and support Aboriginal people to lead initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people.

“We have so much to learn from their approach and creativity. I am thrilled to see this forum, the result of much community input and hard work. It demonstrates what can be accomplished with local Aboriginal leadership and I acknowledge their thoughtful invitation encouraging participation and collaboration towards healing in the Mullewa community,” says Professor Thompson.

The forum closed with a performance from the Mullewa dance group Binmaga Cultural Experience.

The Department of Communities funded program was supported by the WACRH, GRAMS, Geraldton Sporting Aboriginal Corporation, Yamaji Arts, MEEDAC Mullewa and the City of Greater Geraldton.