Feature image: National Dance ceremony 2019
Dannielle Cockerill, Sonia Weston Hume and Kourtney Cockerill
“Celebrate, teach, yarn, bring Aboriginal Culture into our community. I want to share stories – good and bad. Education and truth telling is important for us all to heal together. We can’t do this alone”
Sonia Weston Hume
In this interview, Sonia generously shares parts of her own story, some local history, and the role of culture for healing in the Bass Coast community. I’m honoured to publish this material and grateful for this beautiful country where I have spent the past four months in lock down at Inverloch.
Please show your support for the cultural healing mission of Sonia and the Yowengarra Aboriginal Corporation. Make a donation now by emailing ybwbcac@gmail.com
Can you please share a bit about yourself and your family, where you are from, and your involvement with Yowengarra Aboriginal Corporation? Can you share some history of the local area and first peoples that our readers might not know?
Hello, my name is Sonia Weston Hume. I’m a proud Boon Wurrung Woman. Our country stems from Wilsons Prom, known to us as Wamoo, all the way to Werribee River also parts of Melbourne.
I’ve lived in Bass Coast for 35 years. I came here as a 13-year-old girl, coming from a town with an Aboriginal Community to one without was hard. This is where I felt Racism and started to struggle. I ended up leaving Wonthaggi Tech due to wagging school as being called a ABO daily was hard. I moved to my dad’s sisters in Melbourne to finish my education and go to Uni. I then came back to Bass Coast to make a change regarding Aboriginal people and educate, that’s where I’m still at today.
We formed Yowengerra Bun Wurrung Balug Clans Aboriginal Corporation to have a voice here in Bass Coast as Traditional custodians, a place our people can come and heal. We need healing, with healing comes strength, a place our wider community can come and learn the culture of their local Boon Wurrung people. We will heal with solidarity coming together, sharing, learning. This is my passion.
My Healer is our Warreeny, our Ocean.
Over many years, stories and knowledge has been passed down to me which I teach our kids, keeping culture strong.
Venus Bay is one of many culturally sensitive places here, it holds so much cultural heritage, burial sites. It a place I go to connect with my ancestors as it is so strong there.
Another place where us woman went and did our business is Williamson beach. I visit there often to heal.
The current global movement against racism and police brutality has shone a light on racist atrocities here in Australia, would you feel comfortable to share how your own family has been affected by deaths in custody?
On the 6th of June 2020 we came together at Eagles Nest Inverloch in Solidarity for BLACK LIVES MATTER. This movement is so close to me as I’ve lost family member in the custody of policing, most recent my dear cousin Tanya Day.
Can you describe the energy of the local #blacklivesmatter protest at Eagles Nest?
The day was amazing to see my community come together as one and fight for the right for my people to live. It was amazing. I could feel my ancestors, it gave me strength it showed me we aren’t walking this horrible nightmare alone, we have solidarity. The feeling is amazing.
What is your vision for sharing dance, music and culture with the local community? How do you see culture as part of ending racism and achieving true reconciliation in Australia?
Yowengerra has raised little funds to be able to get together as a community, all of us, and celebrate, teach, yarn, bring Aboriginal Culture into our community. I want to share stories – good and bad. Education and truth telling is important for us all to heal together. We can’t do this alone.
How can non-indigenous Australians be part of healing in this country?
Yowengerra have a community fund account where people can donate. We can be contacted by email: ybwbcac@gmail.com We also have a link on our Facebook Page: Yowengerra Aboriginal Corporation.
All funds raised will be giving back to community in events like dance circles, yarning circles, basket weaving, cook ups etc. This will give the community a place to go to learn about their local Aboriginal history and culture and heal together.
One Comment
Lorraine Rodda
Loved reading your interview Sonia. We are getting very excited about your sharing story at the New Years Labyrinth Walk to Recognise and Celebrate Celebrate Culture. We feel your talk will assist people to learn about your and your ancestors lived experience – a shared history. e.g. walking towards the Labyrinths centre, you are drawn deeper into self, with the twisdts and turns of the path helping to use these to reflect the trauma experienced by your people and thereby gaining insight and clarity about the shared history and importantly the need to enshrine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voices in the Australian Constitution (with a ‘Makarrata Commission’ to supervise a process of ‘agreement-making’ and ‘truth-telling’ between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) It is by walking with an open heart, allowing the twists and turns of the path to reflect on the lived experiences of your people Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The concept is by walking with an open heart contemplating a different Australia, where First Peoples live in a society of Fairness, Equity and Justice and thrive walking in two worlds; emerging with a clearer understanding of how to be the change they want to see in Australia.