As we walked into the Tjapukai center, we were greeted by
several people of Aboriginal heritage wearing traditional dress and offering to
paint our faces. We were assigned to
people groups, Jake and the kids were people of the wet season, and I was from
the dry, since husbands and wives need to be from opposite peoples. After some singing and an introduction, we listened
to the didgeridoo and followed the dancers outside to an amphitheater for more
singing and dancing, and hearing several traditional stories. By this time, all of the spectators (about 40
of us) were also singing and dancing, and we were given rhythm sticks to beat
in time as well as we then made our way to the fire pit. Some lucky audience members (none of us, unfortunately)
were chosen to conjure up some fire using dry sticks, and after much effort,
traditional prayers, and plenty of assistance, some sparks landed on the dry
grasses, and they were able to blow that into a proper campfire. The fire ceremony culminated with a bang as
an arrow was lit from our campfire and shot across a lake to explode into a
fire ball for a pyre there. By now it was about 8:30pm, and finally time for
dinner…kangaroo, crocodile, and emu, served with some “bush” seasonings and
sauces (and a delicious vegetarian dinner for Miriam and me), as well as several
yummy salads, fruits, and desserts. The
food was wonderful, and the cast was very cheerful and welcoming, ready to pose
for pictures and answer questions. As
far as learning about the Australian Aboriginal culture, while it was definitely
an event staged for tourists, it was very well done and informative, and we
left with a much more nuanced and colorful idea of the history of Australia.
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