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Yorta Yorta Burial SitePrint Page 
A smoking and cleansing ceremony was held in Shepparton to publicly acknowledge the culturally significant burial site on which the council offices had been built, on the traditional lands of the Yorta Yorta people.
Smoking ceremonies are an ancient custom among many Aboriginal communities. Native plants are smouldered to produce smoke that has cleansing properties to ward off bad spirits. Some Aboriginal healing practitioners also use smoking ceremonies for healing, spiritual renewal, and strength. The ceremonies are rituals of purification and unity, and Aboriginal people with specialised cultural knowledge undertake them. Given the ceremony’s significance, it’s usually only performed at events that local Aboriginal communities regard as appropriate.
Yorta Yorta people had for years explained the historic and cultural significance of the council site, and their distress and reluctance to enter the offices. The failure to address this issue had prevented the Yorta Yorta community from being fully integrated into their local council’s daily work and decision making. Representatives of the Yorta Yorta people led the cleansing and smoking ceremony and performed it in line with their traditional cultural practices.
It began in the local Queens Gardens where the CEO welcomed everyone and acknowledged the Traditional Owners. The mayor then made brief remarks before a Yorta Yorta Elder led those gathered in a minute’s silence. A Yorta Yorta Elder unveiled a plaque to be placed on the wall at the entrance of the council offices, acknowledging the site’s historic and cultural significance. A representative of the Yorta Yorta Nation then began the smoking and cleansing ceremony, walking from the gardens to the council offices. The ceremony and laying of the plaque demonstrates Greater Shepparton City Council’s commitment to collaborate with Traditional Owners, acknowledge the truth of Australia’s history, and build a shared future.
Greater Shepparton City Council, September 2019.
Location
| Address: | 90 Welsford Street, Greater Shepparton City Council, Shepparton, 3630 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -36.377621 Long: 145.397901 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Culture |
| Sub-Theme: | Indigenous |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | September-2019 |
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The history of the Yorta Yorta people and their descendants is embedded in the landscape on the banks of the Kaiela (Goulburn River).
Greater Shepparton City Council acknowledges and recognises that the council office is on a known burial site belonging to the Yorta Yorta people.
This valuable knowledge passed down from the Yorta Yorta Elders to the next generation must be respected.
This place is culturally significant to the Yorta Yorta people and their descendants.
