Photo: Johnny Danalis via Southburnett.com.au
This moving video and photo essay from Australia chronicles the journey back of a magical stone which has the ability to heal centuries of cruelty and psychic wounds. John Danalis as a child had always been fascinated by the 'star of Taroom' as he called it, a rock with mysterious markings lying half-buried in his backyard. His father, a roving veterinarian had collected it as a curio from the town of Taroom, 500 km from his home in Brisbane. John Danalis had persuaded his father to return another 'curio', a skull of an Aboriginal which had sat in their mantelpiece for long. The gratitude that this gesture evoked was a life-changing experience for the older man but since he did not live long enough to return the other artifact, his son decided to do the honors. The star of Taroom was an ancient groove stone, a tool sharpener used by the Iman people as a waypoint directing people towards food sources and a boundary marker of traditional country. As Danalis pulled the rock in a makeshift cart across 500 km of rough terrain, he was joined by scores of Australians eager to make amends for their ancestors' horrifying actions of retributions and massacres. By allowing us to take this journey, the Iman are allowing us to heal, says Danalis. His actions have also helped native Australians to connect back to their roots. We've got a past, but we want to try to go forward too, and the only way to go forward is by healing, says Iman elder, Stuart White.
|
|
More:
