Possum Skin Cloak for ATSI Cancer Patients
Beschermde donatie
'Wrapped in Culture, with Love' - Possum Skin Cloak for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer patients
Whom Am I? Why do I want to make a Possum Skin Cloak for community?
My name is Leah Lindrea-Morrison, a local Aboriginal Yorta Yorta woman from Shepparton, Victoria. My motivation for this project is through my own personal experiences both cancer diagnosis and treatment for myself and as carer for my late husband who passed away with cancer. I know firsthand how it feels and have seen what this horrible disease of cancer does to the patient, carers and their families. Now, that I’m a survivor, I count myself lucky. This is the reason, why I would like to give back to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) patients going through treatment to make their journey that little bit more comfortable by reviving an ancient tradition that gave warmth and protection for thousands of years.
My project is to make a possum skin cloak for use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients going through cancer treatment at Goulburn Valley Health (GVH) - Peter Copulos Cancer Centre, so their journey is made easier by connecting them to their culture. The approach of this project is to integrate a biomedical model and traditional healing perspectives of health, by bringing a cultural practice in to a regional hospital.
The project will be to invite a group of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer patients and/or survivors to be part of the group who will participate in a facilitated workshops to make a Possum Skin Cloak. The workshop will allow the participants to work together to inscribe their identity, culture, experience and knowledge into the possum skin cloak. During this time they will make the cloak.
The project will involve the production of a short promotional video involving participants, and their experience of making the cloak and its benefits to them and the community.
Your support will enable the cloak to be gifted to Goulburn Valley Health with a official launch involving participants and local community organisations who support cancer patients or are involved in community health. The cloak will be kept at the Oncology department and will be available for cancer patients to use while receiving treatment.
The funds will contribute to the cost of the workshop, purchase of materials and equipment, workshop facilitators, travel and accommodation for the facilitators, transport and catering for participants, photography and video production. There will be a four-day intensive workshop that will produce a Possum Skin Cloak in October 2020. Funds will be required by 14th September to purchase materials.
Both Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative and Goulburn Valley Health Oncology department support this initiative and have agreed to be a partner in this project. A broad range of community members and Elders have been involved in conversations about this project. They have been supportive and recognise the benefits to cancer patients from our community. If you would like to contribute to this amazing healing project, your financial support will be appreciated to enable this project to happen.
Revitilisation of Possum Skin Cloaks has been important for Aboriginal people as it connects us to Culture.
Support is being provided from Goulburn Valley Health, Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative and The University of Melbourne, Department of Rural Health and you have a unique opportunity to also contribute to this amazing healing project which increases self-determination within Aboriginal communities.
If you would like any further information, please feel free to contact me via email [e-mail geredigeerd].au
Whom Am I? Why do I want to make a Possum Skin Cloak for community?
My name is Leah Lindrea-Morrison, a local Aboriginal Yorta Yorta woman from Shepparton, Victoria. My motivation for this project is through my own personal experiences both cancer diagnosis and treatment for myself and as carer for my late husband who passed away with cancer. I know firsthand how it feels and have seen what this horrible disease of cancer does to the patient, carers and their families. Now, that I’m a survivor, I count myself lucky. This is the reason, why I would like to give back to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) patients going through treatment to make their journey that little bit more comfortable by reviving an ancient tradition that gave warmth and protection for thousands of years.
My project is to make a possum skin cloak for use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients going through cancer treatment at Goulburn Valley Health (GVH) - Peter Copulos Cancer Centre, so their journey is made easier by connecting them to their culture. The approach of this project is to integrate a biomedical model and traditional healing perspectives of health, by bringing a cultural practice in to a regional hospital.
The project will be to invite a group of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer patients and/or survivors to be part of the group who will participate in a facilitated workshops to make a Possum Skin Cloak. The workshop will allow the participants to work together to inscribe their identity, culture, experience and knowledge into the possum skin cloak. During this time they will make the cloak.
The project will involve the production of a short promotional video involving participants, and their experience of making the cloak and its benefits to them and the community.
Your support will enable the cloak to be gifted to Goulburn Valley Health with a official launch involving participants and local community organisations who support cancer patients or are involved in community health. The cloak will be kept at the Oncology department and will be available for cancer patients to use while receiving treatment.
The funds will contribute to the cost of the workshop, purchase of materials and equipment, workshop facilitators, travel and accommodation for the facilitators, transport and catering for participants, photography and video production. There will be a four-day intensive workshop that will produce a Possum Skin Cloak in October 2020. Funds will be required by 14th September to purchase materials.
Both Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative and Goulburn Valley Health Oncology department support this initiative and have agreed to be a partner in this project. A broad range of community members and Elders have been involved in conversations about this project. They have been supportive and recognise the benefits to cancer patients from our community. If you would like to contribute to this amazing healing project, your financial support will be appreciated to enable this project to happen.
Revitilisation of Possum Skin Cloaks has been important for Aboriginal people as it connects us to Culture.
Support is being provided from Goulburn Valley Health, Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative and The University of Melbourne, Department of Rural Health and you have a unique opportunity to also contribute to this amazing healing project which increases self-determination within Aboriginal communities.
If you would like any further information, please feel free to contact me via email [e-mail geredigeerd].au
Organisator
Leah Lindrea-Morrison
Organisator
Arcadia South, VIC