Recent activities of the Chai Tent

The Chai Tent set up for the five days of Nimbin's 'Mend and Weave' Festival which was an amazing gathering and sharing of skills

Moksha's wonderful creations

Moksha teaching


The November Channon Market Drumming Circle



Benny Zable organized a 350ppm Human Mosaic in the Busking area after the buskers, and before the drumming circle.

Slideshow of Chai Tent Photos

Click on this photo to go to ArtNomadix's Flickr page.
Click the Full Screen icon on the lower right hand corner once it appears, then
move the cursor up a bit, out of the way, put on some music, and enjoy the show.

Just some of the more recent photosfrom the Chai Tent's 28 year history.
I must scan some of the older photos in, ........ one day !

The Appology 13th February 2008

Here is a link to the ABC's program 'Message Stick', shown on tonight's show, that shows the set upof the Rainbow Chai Tent down at The Aboriginal Tent Embassy last year, with the wonderful Johnny Huckle's music playing in the background
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/messagestick/video/2009/February2009.htm?pres=s2484180&story=1,

For those who have not seen it it shows the valuable role the Chai Tent played as a central meeting, gathering, talking place for indigenous folk from around the country

Protest At The High Court, Canberra

Yesterday 2nd February supporters of 12 Elders from Alice Springs, down for a High Court Legal Challenge and Land Title rights case, protested the High Courts decision to reject the legal challenge to the NT Intervention.
From this video, http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2009/02/02/2480365.htm it looks to have been a peaceful protest, with the majority of people walking into to the Courtroom in protest at the Negative descision. Justice Michael Kirby, was the only member in support, on his last day in office.

While the protsest was noisy, it was peaceful, it was the AFP, targeting one man in particular, not everyone, that seems to spark things up into a bit more of a kefuffle.
Whether this man was known to them, or whether they were just picking on one, as an example, is not clear.
What is clear. to me is they were not asking they same request of those nearby. The snippet shown on TV news last night said "Violence errupted...." but all I can see is people trying to help some one being singled out, trying to help him from undue force.

Students from around the country, have been gathered in Canberra for an Environmental Facilitator Training Camp. Today, along with members of The Climate Camp, they joined, some 2,500+ people from Sydney, Broken Hill, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and elsewhere, gathering in front of Parliament House, to highlight the Need for Changes in regard to our Climate.
With the large numbers, they managed their objective. and encircled Parliament House.
Calling on The Government to increase the 5% Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, to a 20% Reduction, at least, to actually achieve some Positive Changes in regards to our environment.
They then walked to the Rainbow Chai Tent down at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, where lunch and refreshments were served, before another contingent, of Climate Concious people returned to New Parliament House, for another rally.
There was some brief footage shown on 2 channels in the 11am and 11:30am News, but no story. Lets see what they deign to tell us on the evening news !

Nimbin's Hippyfest'08'09

Nimbin's Hippyfest'08'09

Chai Tent @ The Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Canberra 2009

Well Michael, Benny and 'Aunty'Liffey, have taken the Chai Tent down to Canberra once again. They were finally fully set up on the morning of Jan 26th, just in time for the Sovereignty Day marcher's refreshments.
All photos from 2007 until I get updates from Michael or Benny or anyone else who is actually down there.

A Rainbow Parliament House ? Feb 2007


Photo from 2007 March

The wild windy weather hampered their set up along with a few mishaps and car troubles on the way down. It is such a huge set up, even more than the weekly market set up, as Michael hires extra, large marquees, to provide adequate shade and under cover kitchen area.
Liffey said she went to bed at 3am and woke up at 6am, and straight back into work, Michael stayed up all night, fine tuning the whole set up.
Apparently my new paint job on the old table curtain is looking better than the new one. I'll have to add some words to the new one too, when it comes back up.

Well, 'THE' Conversation, has begun, 'Could we think about moving the date of Australia Day celebrations to another day'. One that is less offensive to most Indigenous people.



I did ring them earlier and was just in time to hear June Mills of the Mills Sisters, from Darwin, singing on the Chai Tent Stage, I told Michael he should get her to sing Waltzing Matilda, as sung by the old people, it's a classic, "Walching ba Matilda, walching ba Matilda who'll come a walching ba Matilda longa me........" He said she had sung it already.
But that was earlier in the afternoon. While I was chatting on phone to Liffey, I began to hear that very song being sung again, so Liffey went in closer and held the phone out, so I got a tiny taste of the atmosphere in the tent, and I sang along, laughing, I do love that version.

I will add 2009 photos in here whenever I get something from Benny, with his camera, down there.
Speedy McGuiness, Aunty Isabel Coe, Aunty Marie ?, and a Japanese walker from Sydney,2007.
Nungala Leanne Lacy, Winiata,on guitar, Ots on Djembe, and Paul Ferguson, 2007

Here's a link to a photo, http://www.flickr.com/photos/naemick/3224385679/ Australia Day 2009 by naemick. that has this list of quite interesting historical dates regarding the origins of Anniversary day that later became Australia Day,
I've now copied and pasted below, seeing that I don't have any photos yet of Chai Tent at this years Sovereignty Day Gathering.

1788
Captain Arthur Phillip unfurls the British flag at Sydney Cove and proclaims British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia

1808
First recorded celebrations on 26 January

1817
Governor Macquarie recommends the adoption of the name Australia for the entire continent, replacing New Holland

1818
Governor Macquarie holds the first official celebrations on 26 January, marking thirty years of white settlement

1836
First Anniversary Regatta held on Sydney Harbour. This is now the Australia Day Regatta, the oldest continuous sailing regatta in the world

1838
Celebrations held to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Phillip's landing and the commencement of the traditional Australia Day public holiday in New South Wales

1871
Australian Natives Association formed. Instrumental in supporting issues such as Federation, the naming of our national day as Australia Day and citizenship ceremonies following WWI

1888
Centenary celebrations for Anniversary Day across the nation Centennial Park permanently reserved for public use

1901
January 1, Federation of the Commonwealth of Australia

1931
Australia Day adopted in Victoria

1932
Australia Day adopted in NSW only to be reversed to Anniversary Day by the incoming state government

1935
Commonwealth Government and all States and Territories except NSW adopt Australia Day as the official title for our national day

1938
150th Anniversary celebrations across the nation

1946
All States and Territories celebrate the 26 January as Australia Day

1949
Separate Australian citizenship became law for the first time Citizenship ceremonies began to become part of Australia Day celebrations

1960
Sir Macfarlane Burnet the first Australian of the Year

1968
Lionel Rose becomes the first Aboriginal Australian of the Year

1972
26 January the Aboriginal Tent Embassy established on the lawns of Parliament House, Canberra

1979
National Australia Day Council formed, incorporated in 1990

1981
Australia Day Council of NSW formed, initially operating as part of the NSW Bicentennial Council

1988
Bicentennial celebrations and for the first time a united public holiday on the 26 January across the nation Modern Tall Ships and First Fleet Re-enactment arrive in Australia. Largest Aboriginal protest march in history on 26 January

1992
Inaugural Survival concert held at La Perouse, now an annual event

1994
All States and Territories begin to celebrate Australia Day on the actual day - the 26 January - for the first time

1996
Over 6.5 million Australians celebrate Australia Day nationally

2001
Centenary of Federation celebrated. Though the date was January 1st, many communities combined Australia Day and Centenary of Federation celebrations.

2002
Over 7 million people celebrate Australia Day nationally.

2004
7.5 million people attend Australia Day ceremonies nationally. This figure is unlikely to fall.

Source: www.australiaday.com.au/studentresources/history.aspx

Wecome to Country - Hanging Rock Hall December '08

'Welcome to Country', Party at Hanging Rock Hall.
Just copied this from the ArtNomadix Blog, but it seems the photos didn't copy , so I'll have to put them all in again, but not tonight, see illustrated story at http://www.artnomadix.blogspot.com



Finally I have time to write this up.

November 22nd we headed of to the wonderful community made, stone and wood hall, to help brother Michael set up the Chai Tent, for a community party put on to invite some 'new friends to be' from the Mulli Mulli Community, somewhere west of here, in the Kyogle Shire.
Put on with the help of a grant, which enabled the Mulli Mulli people to bring a school bus of kids and teenagers,and a few cars wirh some of the elders, the one and a half hour journey, and paid for food and drinks for them, ably cooked on the BBQ and in the kitchen by the men and women of the Bush Fire Brigade and Hall Committee.

It was a wild and windy day


and the flags and tent were buffeted. and flapped with gusto. but held up ! And the promised Thunderstorm was never seen ...?
I was a wonderful day of two communities coming together and sharing music and dance and cups of Sovereign Tea and Chai !

Local singer song writer Loren, played around sunset, singing about community. I couldn't resist his awesome words, and danced the stories out, for all to see. ( an impromptu performance, as I was, for a long while, the only one dancing, and my style is movement and mime based.)
It made up for two recently missed, cafe concerts he has played, ( I was just saving up for the right venue, Somewhere with lots of space to dance in, on grass!)
My crook hip paid heavily that night as I tried to sleep, rolling round trying to get comfy !

After dark the fire lantern 'Phoenix was placed in it's stand, on the centrally laid fire, (Beautifully built by the 'Fireys',who had their truck on hand for any firey emergencies).
With a north wind, blowing hot all day, it was not, the ideal day to light a fire, but with sunset, the winds dropped back, to a balmy evening, so Fire Ceremony lighting was approved ! Yaay !




Lewis Walker, of the Bundjulung, spoke and played the traditional Welcome to Country, then played, to the Phoenix as the flames took hold, and an awesome sight it was, as the Spirit of the Phoenix was released, to be reborn in us all, in the Spirit of New Friendships !


But the final parting was very moving, as Lewis farewells the Spirit of the Phoenix !



Can you 'see' the 'spirit' leaving the fire .......

There was music and dance in the hall til midnight, with the wondeful 8 person line up 'CBD Dub Collective', and music and dance, out round the fire, til the wee small hours, of a quieter nature. May there be more such gaterings and coming together of community !

( and may there be 'better communication about what time thiings start, an order and a program, known in advance. The Elders and young Mulli Mullians left too early, as they'd arrived at the advertised time, of noon as we had beleived too, that the official 'Welcome to Country was to be held then.)

The Rainbow Chai Tent's Background Story commences.....

I will have to find and scan in some of our older photos from the early days
To see Michael Webb's story of Chai Tent's origins,click this link
http://www.rainbowchaitent.com/history/michael-webb.jpg
Can't seem to copy it from website to here just yet and I've just erased my version just typed for Profile , only to find (Limit1200 Characters only)so I saved the excess but forgot to paste into this blog post before copying Mics early Chai Tent History, which only shows a link, better than nothing I guess for tonight ! Will try and remedy in near future.