Women of all ages and cultural backgrounds will be welcome at a new Women’s Yarning Healing Circle in Beaudesert.
The Traditional Mununjali Elders will launch the initiative at Mununjali Hall on Drumley Street from 9am to 3pm Friday, 24 June.
The yarning circle, which is being supported by the Scenic Rim Regional Council and Mununjali Housing and Development Company Limited, will be about sharing stories while weaving mats that represent the past, present and future.
Aunty Janis Page said the idea was inspired by traditional ways of doing things and the need for women to support one another through talking and creativity.
“In the day, it was about women’s business, the women would get around and have a yarn and cook food or be scaling the fish or skinning kangaroo or weaving a mat or whatever it is you need to do, but having a yarn at the same time,” she said.
“In that time, you’re communicating, talking to each other, sharing your problems and the artwork of weaving a mat tells your story so it’s a creative healing circle to tell your story.”
She said the concept grew from there.
“It’s for all women, not just Mununjali women, we said ‘let’s just open it up for all women who feel like they want to have that connection and be part of this’,” she said.
“We’ll launch the concept and the vision of the mat, and the idea is all the women will regularly get together. There’s no specific format and everyone makes a circle – you can use rope, raffia, string, you can use wool, you can do quilting, you can crochet a circle, you can do whatever you want, and you can learn from each other.”
She said the goal was to showcase the mats once everyone’s work came together.
“It’s all these women actually creating the yarning circle mats – all these women and their stories,” she said.
For more information or to get involved contact Aunty Janis Page on jrpage@hotmail.com 0467 381 045 or Aunty Gerry Page on 0412 046 379.
