BEGINNINGS - First Peoples’ Architecture - event wrap by delegate Ujjaval Lalwani
MIRRIWAN MINGANG
COOLENDEL, 19TH-21ST OCTOBER 2023.
Photography by tom roe
After spending some time with the Gadhungal Marring tribe, all the attendees at the event Beginnings surely feel a bit closer, and a bit more connected with Mother earth.
Architects, landscape architects, interior designers, object, and furniture designers, all got together for two and a half days and learned the songs and stories of the first nations people, their culture, and the land we all live on. While the stories inspired each and everyone of us, it also sparked conversations among us and contemplation in our minds.
All the attendees were welcomed by the smoke ceremony which in the aboriginal culture, soothes your worries, and cleanses your body and mind.
Smoke ceremony performed by Drew Longbottom.
Maybe that is what made us enjoy the lip-smacking food with delicious wine and hearty conversations a bit more at the incredible coolendel camping site; where we were all welcomed by the wonderful wildlife (in fact, they were dancing with joy. Quite literally!)
Our gracious host. Not so camera shy!
The true passion of the mob was evidently felt on the second day at the ‘Beginnings’ which hosted multiple workshops and activities for everyone.
Be it the workshops where we learnt the functional art of rope making, or fish basket weaving, or the workshops where we spoke about the aboriginal philosophy, the one common theme that echoed around the whole camp, was ‘respect’. Respect for the people, for the land, for our ‘Mother’.
And that was the major learning everyone of us took back with us.
In an alternate universe, I would’ve been a part of the fisherman mob! (I think)
All these activities and workshops were in the shadow of Uncle Steve’s knowledge and wisdom. Uncle Steve, who is one of the elders from the tribe, and a knowledge keeper, spent some time with us where he let us in on his life and the culture that he grew up learning.
Uncle Steve talking about the way of life.
Uncle Steve patiently smiled at us while we tried our best to not ruin the fish basket, he so meticulously crafted. Thank you, Uncle Steve.
Old hands crafting their experience.
While we spoke about the land, how could we forget the river! A plunge into the Shoalhaven River was the perfect way to soak (quite literally) the lessons and learnings we took from the workshops and the talks. It was truly divine!
The magical Shoalhaven River.
The evening spent at the river just before the sunset was brought to life by the Corroboree. Where the tribe shared their stories of the land, through captivating music and dance. While the stories struck a chord inside us, the music and dance made us tap our feet.
The tribe performing the stories of the land.
After a presentation and discussions on other aspects of design and architecture, the evening faded into a night filled with delicious food, wine, campfire, and hearty conversations. It turns out that when like-minded architects and designers come together, they can go on talking for a very long time!
In that moment, it felt like we were a mob of our own tribe. Who somehow, belonged to Mother Earth a bit more, than they did a few days ago.
Mirriwan Mingang
Ujjaval Lalwani, who generously wrote this event review for RAA, is an architectural graduate at Edmiston Jones.