Our Aims
Balaangala Community Group aims to creatively bring together First Nations and non-First Nations people by:
- Building respectful and mutual relationships with local custodians, Elders and First Nations communities
- connecting with the local community
- organising a range of events and activities, both formal and informal to share the whole truth of our shared history
- connecting and caring for Country by developing and maintaining the garden place for community gatherings; sharing; listening; learning; self-reflection; discussion and collaboration
- sharing creative practice, skills, experience and knowledge between First Nations and non-First Nations people
- creating safe places for self-reflection, discussion and collaboration
We advocate for First Nation peoples’ rights by:
- valuing, respecting, and promoting the position of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first peoples of Australia
- acknowledging our shared past and its effects on the social, economic, and emotional well-being of First Nations people
- listening and being willing to embrace new points of view
- exploring ways to develop relationships with remote First Nations communities
- being informed to challenge injustices and racism
Regular Activities and Events
- commemorate invasion/survival day on January 26th each year
- celebrate Restoration day in March each year (see pay the rent)
- commemorate Sorry Day each year
- monthly meetings on the 1st Saturday of January, February, April, May, July, August, October, and November
- Quarterly meetings on the 1st Sunday of March, June, September and December
- care for Country – working bees in the garden – 1st Saturday of each month
- Working bee and collaborative learning days – 3rd Saturday of each month
- engage First Nations people to run activities for kindy and school excursions
- weaving team members organise two or three paid workshops each year and hold a few free weaving circles throughout the year
- a lending library is available at meetings. Members can borrow from a collection of books, most of which are written by First Nations people
- book club meets bi-monthly to discuss the works of First Nations authors
Other Events
Other activities are organised by members and vary from year to year. Some examples of the types of activities, events and projects we have held in the past are:
- First Nations guest speakers and workshops covering many different topics – stolen wages, bush tucker, First Nations governance systems, hidden histories and more
- liaise and support local kindergartens and with their Reconciliation Action Plan, attended their NAIDOC week events and introduced them to cultural workers who work in the school systems
- held Reconciliation week and NAIDOC week events
- hosted meetings for other reconciliation groups
- partnered with Brisbane Writers Festival to host a yarn with author Tyson Yunkaporta
- participated in Reconciliation Qld’s Boundary St Walks
- worked with Reconciliation Qld to host a night to play the board game “Bridge to Reconciliation”
- attended art exhibitions and tours featuring First Nations artists
- held an Elders “Bush High Tea”
Balaangala does not receive any funding, so we are a member-driven organisation. Decisions about future events, projects or activities are made by consensus at a monthly or quarterly meeting. All members are encouraged to add their suggestions to the meetings’ agendas.