Walking Together: Community Comes Together for River Walk for Reconciliation
As part of National Reconciliation Week, community members gathered on Thursday 28 May for the River Walk for Reconciliation, a special guided walk led by Biripi Elder Uncle Russell Saunders and local historian Janine Roberts.
Beginning at Taree Universities Campus, participants walked along the banks of the Manning River and were invited to listen, learn and reflect as stories of culture, memory and history were shared along the way. Together, Uncle Russell and Janine explored the shared Biripi and European history of the region, bringing to life stories connected to significant places along the river, including the old swimming pool, Martin Bridge and the former punt site.
The walk offered a unique opportunity to learn about the many layers of history embedded within the landscape. Along the way, Uncle Russell also shared the traditional uses of a wattle tree encountered during the walk.
The walk concluded back at Taree Universities Campus, where participants gathered in the Elders Room to continue conversations over refreshments.
Keyring designs from local school students
Feedback from attendees highlighted the impact of the experience.
"Very grateful for the generosity of Uncle Russ in sharing and inviting us to walk together."
"I really enjoyed the walk – very informative and cultural."
Thank you to Uncle Russell Saunders and Janine Roberts for generously sharing their knowledge and perspectives, and to everyone who attended with open minds and a willingness to listen and learn. We also thank Reconciliation Taree, Reconciliation NSW and Karitane for their support of the event, including coordinating the local school keyring design competition and providing commemorative keyrings for attendees.
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Thank you to Karitane for running the keyring design competition with local schools and making keyrings for all our attendees