BATIBA Guwiyal is a Dunghutti word originating from the Kempsey Bellbrook area meaning to extinguish the flame.
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The words batiba guwiyal represent a concerted effort to break the cycle of traumas that have affected Aboriginal communities.
Hazel Vale works with Murawin, an organisation owned by her sister Carol Vale, who largely works in policy-making.
Their work is based around building cultural identity, healing from transgenerational traumas, building capacity within community and working from a grassroots level with government and non-government services and the wider community.
“There’s a lot of hurting people out there,” Ms Vale said.
“These people have experienced hardship and pain through many aspects of life in terms of the loss of a loved one, transgenerational traumas, different forms of violence and the overall effects of colonisation.”
Ms Vale said there are many Aboriginal people within the community who she speaks with.
At the morning teas that she hosts at her home the discussions touch on topics that are often considered by others to be off-limits.
“Everything is laid out and our passion is to help bring positive outcomes for our people and community,” she said.
Ms Vale attended a conference in Brisbane last year that brought together policy makers, service providers, community members and people of influence.
The purpose of the conference was to share ideas, inspire and encourage continued and specific actions.
One of Ms Vale’s main focuses is to bring Aboriginal women of all ages together for a morning tea in an environment where they feel safe and respected to speak on any issue.
She said she hopes her work will help people within the community to make it a better place for the next generation.
“The motto I have for my work is everyone matters, and everyone is entitled to feel safe,” Ms Vale said.
“Culture is a big thing for us, to know one’s identity is important.
“We lost that in Armidale and it’s starting to come back through language, it’s all about culture and connecting our people back to who we are.”
For the Murawin Batiba Guwiyal support group, the focus is on healing mentally, physically and spiritually.
“For Aboriginal people healing is also very spiritual and that is something that is connected to our culture,” Ms Vale said.
“We like to play our part in trying to stop this cycle of trauma and start healing to make life better for our people.”