What is reconciliation about?
Listen. Reconciliation is about unity.
What is unity?
Listen again.
Nestled in the back stretches of the Children and Families Carbrook House is a yarning circle.
In its centre lies a fireplace, and along the perimeter are deceptively comfortable logs to sit on and four evenly spaced totems.
These four totems represent the four elements; they were made by Alara and his brother over the course of several months.
Air is placed to the north. The totem is represented by the cockatoo, and is for family and community. It bears the colour of the sky and the sun.
Water is to the east, toward the ocean. The totem shows a sea turtle and bears the colour of the sea. The sea turtle spends most of its life in solitude; it represents the courage, the spirit, and the determination to walk your own path.
Earth is to the south. It shows an echidna and bears the colours of sand and the red earth. The echidna moves with its belly to the ground. It represents staying grounded, keeping one’s feet firmly planted on the earth.
Fire is to the west, toward the deserts. A red snake wraps around the totem coloured in charcoal and sunset orange. It represents the magnanimity of nature. A snake will retaliate if it’s interfered with, but will otherwise keep to itself. It’s the same with Mother Nature. It means that we should not look to dominate nature or hold ourselves as a force above her.
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Inside the circle there’s a sense of space. Oriented by the totems, it becomes easy to speak freely and feel comfortable with your surroundings. The totems act as a compass. Boys will often point out the direction of the land they belong to, whether it’s out towards the sea in the Pacific Islands or further inland.
The yarning circle is part of an Anglicare program that gives kids in the juvenile justice system a choice — stay in the system or choose another way. The program is designed to show them that there is a different path. It may differ from what they’re familiar or comfortable with, but they often emerge with a deeper sense of belonging and identity.
A yarning circle is just that, a place to share, a place for young folks to speak their mind without fear, a place for Elders to share their knowledge with a new generation, a place for newcomers to discover their space, their heritage.
“A safe place for sharing, storytelling and healing. A place where all voices are respectfully equal. A place for every age, every gender and people from any background. All are welcome.”
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The circle is for sharing, it does not belong to anyone. There are custodians, caretakers, but the circle is for everyone.
Reconciliation is not a dispute over property. It’s not about who owned the land first. We are caretakers, custodians, and the land is for everyone. It means unity between people, but also with the earth itself and the elements. The totems are there to remind us of that.
On one particular day in July 2019 the circle saw its first naming ceremony. The Anglicare team gave names to the circle, the house, and the rooms where the boys in the program stayed. Elders of the community and the Youth Justice working group attended the event.
There were also two groups of dancers; one Torres Strait Islander and one Aboriginal. With the dancers and the music echoing through the circle there was a feeling of things having come together. Alara speaks of kinship and of brotherhood. Unity means it doesn’t matter where you come from.
At the end of the day the boys gathered around the yarning circle for no particular reason. Just to chat and share their stories with one another …
What is reconciliation about?
Now listen. Reconciliation is about unity.
Written by Sam Deng, Reconciling Histories intern
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