Koori NEWS NOVEMBER 2020

MALLEE ARTISTS CAPTURE NAIDOC THEME

FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS Runner-up in the competition YEAR, THE WORKS OF TWO was artist and MDAS Alcohol and Other Drugs worker, LOCAL ARTISTS WILL Matthew Chilly with an oil painting MATTHEW CHILLY: CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF THE representing his connections to his It shows connection to bloodline, my NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS IN tribal heritage. tribal heritage and ties to the land. As I am a young Multi-Clan Nations ARTWORKS ON OUR VERY OWN THE STORIES BEHIND THE ART: NAIDOC GARMENTS. descendant of the Wamba-Wamba, KEDEASHA JACKSON: “PAST- , Madi-Madi, Yorta-Yorta, It was the first time Kedeasha Wadi-Wadi and Barapa-Barapa Jackson had entered an artwork in a PRESENT-FUTURE” tribes – on my Mother’s side. I am competition – but her design will now It represents me going through life also a South Sea’s descendant of be everywhere during NAIDOC week! as a woman, being a mother and Vanuatu, the Gabbi-Gabbi tribe from on my Father’s side. “I don’t really do much painting. I becoming the person who I want This artwork piece also depicts the have done drawing in a visual diary to be. The left represents my past ‘Dreaming’ and the ‘Creation’, the just for my personal enjoyment, but and how much I’ve changed going time before our Ancestors and what when I got an I-Pad a few months through life while losing friends they did for us, and how they paved ago, and I learnt to draw with it, that and family. All the pain, tears and the way so that we can live the life all changed,” Kedeasha said. memories that are engraved in my heart made me who I am today as we have and be who we are today. It’s “I downloaded an app called Pro a woman and a mother. The right thanks to my Ancestor’s that I am a Create and started doing custom represents that I have goals and proud Aboriginal, Multi-Clans Nations drawings and drawings of loved ones a life to conquer for me and my man, who is proud of who he is and and found I enjoyed it and was getting daughter. That no matter where I where he comes from. I hope this better at it. It’s very relaxing and it’s a go or what I’m going through, I will artwork piece resonates with others great thing for others to try.” always have my Family. and relates to them in their own way. Koori N E W S

GROWING GEORGINA JOHNSON When she joined MDAS in 2017, Georgina Johnson never imagined she would one day be OUR OWN playing an integral role in the health of the and community. Georgie is now 23, and started off as a part-time receptionist. SUCCESS In January last year she ws offered a role as a AT MDAS WE’RE COMMITTED TO GROWING OUR chronic care outreach worker – and asked to OWN SUCCESS…THAT MEANS SUPPORTING OUR consider Aboriginal Health Worker training. STAFF, EMERGING LEADERS AND COMMUNITY Georgie is now close to completing her training, TO REACH FOR PERSONAL GOALS – AND IN and since August has excelled in the role of THE PROCESS, HELPING US ACHIEVE THINGS Aboriginal Health Worker. Georgie’s experience TOGETHER. is a good example of how MDAS and VACCHO’s training team have worked together to create JOIN IN…AT NAIDOC Good staff aren’t always easy to find. So once when we new employment opportunities for local young find people committed and passionate about supporting people. Georgie loves her position, and it shows mob, we invest in them through further training, work – she’s passionate about giving back to the FLAG RAISING CEREMONIES experience and opportunities to upskill. It supports their community where she grew up. future opportunities – but it also is an investment in our shared future. DUE TO COVID-19 NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS NAIDOC 2020 THEME WILL BE LIMITED THIS YEAR. ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE. MDAS currently has more than 100 staff studying nationally-accredited training from Certificate level to Please note the following times for flag raising Always Was, Always Will Be recognises that First Nations Master’s degree. We also support ongoing traineeships ceremonies at our MDAS sites. people have occupied and cared for this continent for over across MDAS, which are a great point of entry to work and 65,000 years. We are spiritually and culturally connected Please ensure you are wearing a mask and keep social a career. to this country. distance (1.5 metres) between yourself and other people. This country was criss-crossed by generations of brilliant Nations. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were ’s first explorers, first navigators, first 10 am November 9 engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, MDAS Health Orange Avenue first diplomats, first astronomers and first artists. (Mildura Rural City Council Australia has the world’s oldest oral stories. The First to follow) NEED A MASK? Peoples engraved the world’s first maps, made the SWAN HILL earliest paintings of ceremony and invented unique Masks are now compulsory – not scarves, not 10 am November 9 technologies. We built and engineered structures - bandannas. So if you need a mask, get in touch MDAS Road structures on Earth - predating well-known sites such as with us at MDAS. We have disposable masks the Egyptian Pyramids and Stonehenge. WHAT ABOUT YOU? available, as well as reusable ones. (Pictured: KERANG Toni, Hack and Leonie from our MDAS Kerang 10 am November 9 The very first footprints on this continent were those We have some real talent within MDAS and our team) Gannawarra Shire Council belonging to First Nations peoples. mobs. Investing in our staff and supporting people (MDAS to follow) as they strive to become future leaders is great for For us, this nation’s story began at the dawn of time. ROBINVALE the whole community. So, if you need a bit of help NAIDOC 2020 invites all Australians to embrace the 10 am November 9 or advice about your career plans, chat to your true history of this country – a history which dates back manager or our Human Resources team and see Caix Square thousands of generations. what we can do together.

MDAS NEWSLETTER | NOVEMBER 2020 Around CONGRATULATIONS MDAS AUNTY GLENDA So proud of our MDAS SEWB Bringing Them Home worker at Swan Hill Aunty Glenda Nicholls. Glenda is the recipient of the 2020 Hutchinson Indigenous Fellowship. Established by the Helen Macpherson Smith YOUTH Trust in memory of Mr Darvell PROGRAMS Martin Hutchinson, former Chair of the Trust, the fellowship supports the artistic RESUMING practice of an Indigenous artist based in . Awarded annually and valued at $45,000, it includes a one-year So exciting so see our groups, programs and services slowly residency at the University of . Aunty Glenda returning to what will be our “COVID-normal” for quite a while. is a Waddi Waddi, Ngarrindjeri and artist, a Our Mildura Koori Youth Night Patrol bus is back out and about master weaver whose stories and works are inspired by on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as doing pick ups and drop family, community and the coronavirus pandemic. Glenda offs for our youth programs, which are (slowly) starting again is also working on a major commission, Miwi Milloo (Good in both Mildura and Swan Hill. Our youth teams have stayed spirit of the ) 2020 as part of the National connected with many of our young ones during COVID – but Gallery of Victoria’s (NGV) Triennial exhibition opening in please get in touch if you would like to get involved in our fun. December.

Aboriginal tenants at risk of eviction Local Justice Worker program Personal Trainers OUR SERVICES Transitional support (Mildura) (Swan Hill Under Family services) Road to deadly Health FAMILY AND COMMUNITY AOD Robinvale Dual Diagnosis Model of Care Deadly choices (school programs) SERVICES (Mildura Youth 12 - 25) (Swan Hill Adult 16 - 65) MDAS Health program FAMILY VIOLENCE SEWB Mental Health Access CARE AND CULTURE Nutrition & Public Health Advisor Meminar Ngangg Gimba – Refuge (Swan Hill) Aboriginal Children Specialist Advice Meminar Ngangg Gimba – Outreach Clinical & Therapeutic Mental Health Support Service (ACSASS) AGED AND DISABILITY (Mildura/ Robinvale/ Swan Hill/ Kerang) (Swan Hill) Aboriginal Family Led Decision Commonwealth Home Support Meminar Ngangg Gimba – Cultural Mental Health Community Support Making (AFLDM) Programme (CHSP) Healing Group Work Service (Swan Hill & Mildura) Cultural Support Planning (CSP) Home and Community Care Program Men’s Family Violence Case for Younger People (HACC-PYP) Kinship Care Management HEALTH Home Based Care (Foster Care) Men’s Family Violence Cultural GP CLINICS Therapeutic Residential Care Behaviour Change Group Work Nurse Well Women’s Clinic Therapeutic Residential Case Men’s Family Violence Cultural Aboriginal Health Workers Immunisation Clinic Management Healing Group Work Outreach Workers First Supports Adolescent Family Violence Case Chronic Disease Management TACKLING SMOKING AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLES SERVICES Kinship Reunification Management Maternal Child Health Quit Smoking Support FAMILY AND YOUTH Adolescent Family Violence Culture Nurse Health Checks Healing Group Work Family Services Transport EARLY YEARS Integrated family services SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLBEING SPECIALIST SERVICES Maternity Services (Swan Hill & Mildura) Stronger Families Koori Women’s Diversion (Mildura) Drug And Alcohol Worker Maternal and Child Health (Swan Hill & Mildura) Family Preservation Mental Health Demonstration Psychologist In Home Support program YOUTH SERVICES Project (Mildura) Maternal And Child Health Nurse (Swan Hill & Mildura) Early School Leavers Alcohol and other Drugs Podiatrist Treatment Service Cradle to Kinder (Swan Hill & Mildura) Youth Support Program Cardiologist (Mildura Swan Hill/ Kerang Robinvale) Koori Supported playgroups Youth Justice Urologist Bringing them Home (Swan Hill & Mildura) Koori Connect Paediatrician (Mildura Swan Hill/ Kerang Robinvale) Koori Preschool Assistant program Koori Night Patrol Aboriginal Communities Gambling Optometrist (Mildura) Youth Justice Robinvale Awareness program (Mildura) Cardiologist HIPPY (Home Interactive Program HOUSING SUPPORT Family Wellbeing program Audiologist for Parents and Youngsters)(Mildura) Crisis Support (Mildura Swan Hill/ Kerang Robinvale) Physiotherapist Connected Beginnings (Mildura)

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