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REDFERN GIRLS AT THE ABORIGINAL WOMEN'S HEALING HOUSE Several Groups of teenagers from Redfern and Waterloo have come up for a two day retreat at the Healing House: here is the report of one such retreat. REPORT ON THE GIRLS CAMP This recent Youth Camp at the Aboriginal Women's Healing House was organized by Siobhan Bryson and Tiffany Cootes from South Sydney Youth Services. The initial motivation behind the camp was to target girls in this area who were either not accessing other available services or those who at a crucial time in their lives needing intensive assistance and support. The Aboriginal Women's Healing House Project is funded and supported by the Catholic Church. We were particularly interested in that the Healing House had something unique to offer our girls, in that it allows the everyday person to speak out and be heard, thus allowing them to collectively assess their real needs, their inner pain and their helplessness in a workable way. Arrangements were made with Barbara Asplet Coordinator of the Healing House and together with her we planned a suitable program. This program included activities such as back and foot massages, healing rituals and a yarning circle. These activities were designed to relax participants and develop a sense of trust in the group. The camp accommodated nine girls from the Redfern and Waterloo areas varying from eleven to seventeen years of age. Eight out of the nine young people were from an Aboriginal background. This group was accompanied by a well recognized and respected elder in the community, Aunty Sylvia Scott. The idea was to give the girls an opportunity to get to know a local Elder better, with the view to establishing ongoing supportive relationships, which would continue on after the camp. Aunty Sylvia shared stories about her life, the history of her mob and important aspects of Aboriginal heritage and custom. ACTIVITIES DURING THIS CAMP The Yarning Circle On the second day, aunty Barbara led the girls in what is known as a 'Yarning Circle' in a room away from the house. This technique of Yarning allowed the girls to safely share their inner pain and gave them the space to tell their story. Unfortunately for many, they have never before had this opportunity, nor ever felt comfortable enough to open up and share their stories. It was a very intense experience for all involved and these stories that were shared were heart-wrenching. The Yarning allowed some of the girls to express feelings that have been bottled up for a long time. All the girls responded in a caring and respectful way towards each other, which increased their feelings of trust towards each other and developed a sense of unity in the group. Aunty Barbara, who is a member of "The Stolen Generation" also shared her own devastating story of separation and the ongoing effects this has on the various members of her own family that she has managed to re?gain contact with. Besides all of the above activities, the girls also shared lots of fun and laughter. They worked out a dance and song routine together and we all participated in a "concert" on the last night. Even sitting down together to 3 hearty meals per day, was an enjoyable everyday ritual, which many of the girls don't normally experience. Benefits for the participants: - A chance to get to know some elders in the community and the opportunity to build a strong foundation for relationships that could be fostered back in the Waterloo / Redfern area. - Feeling valued and cared for; - Being listened to, understood, and supported - Becoming part of a supportive group / family, - Spiritual awareness - Nourishment for mind, body, & soul - Permission to be proud of their culture and identity Final Comments ; " It was really good - mad camp ? very special" "A good chance to be in the bush and learn from our elders and Aunty Barbara" " It's a very peaceful good place"
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TO 28TH JULY 2001 at the Healing House
Relaxation
Room: There is a room at the back of the main house, which is set
up for relaxation and general pampering of the body, because this
helps heal the spirit, especially for people who have suffered a
great deal of hardship and stress. Here there are facilities for
massage, foot spas and facials etc. On our first afternoon, the
girls unwound by spending time chilling out in this space, with
incense, candies and music. Some of the girls had a back massage,
others had foot spas, while some did some painting and drawing.
It was a nice opportunity for everyone to experience a relaxed environment
and to feel safe and trusting in each others company. 
The
Candle Ritual The girls had already been asked at the very beginning
of this Camp to think about the goals and aspirations they have
for when they grow up. In this ritual they were asked to do a painting
that illustrated the qualities they have, or would like to have,
as adults. These qualities ranged from strength to wisdom and allowed
the girls to really think about the sort of people they wanted to
become. Barbara then made up a little bag for each girl that contained
her ambitions for the future inside, and Barbara then lead the group
in a ceremony to honour each of the girl's intentions. As each girls
name was called, her intentions were also read out as she received
her gift from Barbara. The girls was then given a candle each. The
lights were dimmed as the candles were lit. Barbara thanked the
girls for sharing their inner pain and affirmed them for being who
they were. This gave the girls an opportunity to reflect on what
they had learned of themselves and their culture over the three
days at the Healing House. It was an emotional time for everyone
involved. 
Healing
ritual :The 'rock and bowl' ceremony was held on the last morning
of the camp. It was a great way for the girls to let go of the pain
they had shared over the past three days and gain a sense of closure.
Barbara invited the girls to reveal their inner pain to the rock,
either openly or silently and to then pass the rock on as they together
in a circle. The eldest member of the group then took the rock and
scoured away the pain into a bowl of water. The youngest member
of the group then drained the water into the creek; and she then
placed the cleansed rock was with rocks of other people who had
participated in a similar ritual here at the Healing House. Aunty
Barbara told the girls that they could return at any time to their
special rock, and that they could think about their rock whenever
they were feeling down. 