Saving Aboriginal Land Fund

We are sitting on the edge of the last opportunity to help preserve and access one of the oldest unbroken traditions of knowledge on the planet, which holds at least 40-60,000 years of accumulated wisdom.
 
In an era of rapidly diminishing traditional cultures and modern disconnection, there is a growth of interest in understanding ancient healing techniques. The Bundjalung language clans of northern NSW have maintained healing knowledge despite displacement from their land. However, they face increasing loss of knowledge in the youth, who for the most part are disenfranchised and subsumed into a drugs and alcohol culture, with little options for stability or self-betterment. There is also a desperate lack of access to either traditional land or facilities to maintain and share this knowledge. 
 
Working with Clarence River clans on preservation of healing plant knowledge for 25 years, Nick Tree (as he is known in indigenous communities) works with Lauren Wilce in the UK towards bringing more awareness of these traditions, and bridging these karmically linked lands.

Wahlabal custodians tell Nick that what is needed is a healing retreat facility where culture and methods can be shared with the outside world, and preserved through education for their youth, towards ongoing sustainable practice. This would also allow traditional healers of other tribes to visit and share knowledge.
 
Aboriginal healing techniques are varied and integrally connected with spiritual beliefs. As well as an extensive pharmacopeia of plants to treat various conditions, methods include:
 
-      'clearing' and smoking ceremonies (to remove negative energies),
-      detox and deep meditation practices,
-      traditional 'hands on healing' which is similar to reiki,
-      and what elders called mind medicine, meaning psychology, which includes spiritual knowledge in song, story, art and ceremony, and ways of relating together.
 
This fundraising campaign is to create an indigenous healing retreat centre, to bring about an access point and cultural preservation, on land used for millennia for such purposes. In far northern NSW the Bundjalung have been largely displaced from their traditional land with little access.
 
Two pieces of land have been identified as especially sacred and suited to healing and retreat. One has on it a sacred river called Wongabirri, of pristine waters with healing properties. Another is situated in sacred mountains of the Wyabal where traditionally healers would study, and where there are sacred waterfalls and walking tracks.
 
The custodians of these areas still maintain and share story and culture. These particularly sacred areas are currently privately owned, with no indigenous involvement. 
 
There is an option to purchase a pocket of this land to preserve it, which £150,000 would make possible. If we reach £50,000 will allow the longer term leasing of land, with a purchasing option, and construction of a basic eco retreat centre with amenities. 
 
A basic retreat centre will be made from sustainable materials, with basic community room, accommodation and amenities.
 
Once retreats are running the project can be expanded upon, and more land can hopefully be returned to its traditional ancient usage. 
 
All donations are deeply appreciated towards this common empowering goal, and donators will receive a welcoming on the land, and larger donations free access to some retreat time.
 
We offer the following gifts, which will be redeemed on your first visit to the retreat centre:

£100 -   welcoming blessing to the land

£500 -   one night participation on a retreat

£1000 - attendance at a weekend retreat (2 nights)

£2500 - attendance at a weekend retreat (3 nights) plus 1-1 healing session 

£5000 - full attendance at a 5 day retreat plus 1-1 healing session

This is a collective opportunity and quickly becoming our last chance to save traditions and sensitive lands, and grow new ways of working with millennia old wisdoms. 
 
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the fundraising team.


 
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Further information about who we are and who the campaign beneficiaries will be: 
 
Nick Tree has lived and worked with the indigenous community in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia, for 25 years. He is a custodian of their sacred traditions and has responsibility to ensure they are passed on to future generations. Lauren Wilce currently lives in the UK but travels regularly to Australia and has worked with Nick for many years to protect and preserve these Aboriginal traditions. Remi Olajoyegbe and Selena King, who both live in the UK, are good friends with Nick and Lauren and are managing the campaign on behalf of them and the indigenous community in Australia.
 
Custodian representatives of the Warhbal, Wyabal, and Gumbaynggirr clans of northern NSW have asked Nick to seek funding to create a retreat centre to work from, which will also enable access to the public, as no such facility exists. All donations will be given to Nick and Lauren who will use this to purchase the land and build the retreat centre (except for 2.9% of the total raised, which are the fees charged by Go Fund Me for payment processing).