Celebrating Indigenous culture

Mountain to Mouth Extreme 80km Arts Walk

Mountain to Mouth is part of an exciting program of events showcasing Victoria’s rich Indigenous culture in the lead up to National Reconciliation Week (26 May – 3 June 2016).

Mountain to Mouth Extreme 80km Arts WalkThis biannual 80km Extreme Arts Walk connects participants with the land, its people and its history. The two day walk begins at the You Yangs mountain range and arrives at Geelong in the evening, just in time for Geelong After Dark (6-7 May 2016). The next day, the Bellarine Rail Trail takes walkers to Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale. From there, they can follow the sea to the river mouth arriving at Barwon Heads at sunset. The route is punctuated with artworks commissioned for the event. In the tradition of Wadawurrung (the traditional owners of the land), Mountain to Mouth (M~M) creates a contemporary songline across the Geelong and Queenscliff regions. In 2007, M~M was envisaged as a contemporary songline in consultation with traditional owners and advisers. Walkers are encouraged to pay their respects as they follow in the footsteps of those who first walked this land. Participants can walk the full distance, or choose a smaller section of the 80km course.

Mokoan Music FestMokoan Music Fest (14 May 2016) will be the first large scale contemporary music and arts event to be held ‘on country’ at Winton Wetlands in north east Victoria. The festival is all about celebrating, honouring and renewing cultural connections to the site that date back thousands of years to Traditional Owner family groups who came together for events of scale, such as corroborees, trade and other ceremonies. The line up will include contemporary Indigenous and culturally diverse artists who will bring their unique songs, stories and sounds to the site for the first time Indigenous songs, stories and opera from Australia’s leading Indigenous opera singer and Indigenous children’s choir.

Connecting to CountryThe annual Connecting to Country Festival (19-22 May 2016) will return to the Surf Coast Shire this May for its third iteration. Run simultaneously with the Australian Indigenous Surf titles at Bells Beach, the Festival celebrates local Indigenous culture and tells of the cultural significance of the land and the people that have lived on it for thousands of years. The week-long celebration of arts, music and history festival aims to ‘Close the Gap’ amongst Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders. Activities include sampling bush tucker, basket weaving, movies, music, walking the land, finding stone tools, learning about significant sites, finding Scar trees, listening to stories and connecting to local Indigenous people.

Australian Indigenous Surfing TitlesSet to return to the iconic Bells Beach this May, the Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles (20-22 May 2016) will showcase the top Indigenous surfers from around the country. The event will crown an Australian Indigenous Champion in three divisions: Indigenous open males, masters men, open women and open long-boarders. Presented by Surfing Victoria for the fourth consecutive year, the three day event provides a wonderful opportunity to head to Bells Beach and watch professional surfers at their best.

Gnarrwirring Ngitj at Sovereign HillTo celebrate National Reconciliation Week Sovereign Hill will present an Aboriginal history and cultural festival Gnarrwirring Ngitj (26 May – 3 June 2016) in partnership with the Wathaurong Aboriginal Corporation, . The week-long festivities called ‘Gnarrwirring Ngitj’ (/no,wor-ring nitch), meaning Learning Together in Wadawurrung language, will celebrate Aboriginal stories, traditions and history, as well as the important contribution that Aboriginal People made to the Goldfields. Highlights will include a guided tour of the Gold Museums Pern Collection of Indigenous artefacts and Invisible People, a new theatre performance about the impact of colonisation and the gold rushes on the Aboriginal People of Victoria. A Wadawurrung Corroboree – a very special performance of traditional Wadawurrung dance and song – will be performed by firelight at Sovereign Hill. This one-night-only performance is the only place visitors will be able to see a Corroboree during National Reconciliation Week in Victoria.

For more events taking place during Reconciliation Week events, see here.