The mothers have to go out at 36 weeks to have their babies on the mainland.
So they’re not birthing on Country.
So by doing a Welcome to Country for the babies
and the mothers and fathers and that family group,
it’s not them delivering you know,
but it’s acknowledging that these children belong here in this community.
When we welcome our babies back to Country we have our Elders involved
to make for culture reasons as well
and to make parents feel proud that the kids are coming back on Country
and welcoming them back to Country as well you know.
Some of our young ones and older ones like to show off their children, grandchildren,
especially their Elders and stuff and having
welcome baby back to Country has become like a ceremony for us as well.
All of the babies that are born here, because they’re born in Mount Isa or Cairns
their birth certificates will always say Mount Isa or Cairns.
So the Welcome to Country has been part of that cultural experience
to have a certificate that says that they belong to the land
of the Lardil people and the Kaiadilt people,
giving them that sense of identity right from the beginning.
It originally started as a concept from the midwife.
She works with our our young mums from the conception of their babies, as soon as they find out.
She comes over once a month or however often,
does their pre-natal on the ground in Mornington.
She travels, she lives in Mount Isa so when they’re due
to go out for their babies she has them in Mount Isa.
She’s the main driver behind this.
Yeah it’s months of planning you know and coordinating with RFDS and Queensland Health
with how many children then the breakdown of boys versus girls
then sending, you know, having planning meetings with all the different
service providers and the staff.
Then the coordination of cakes and catering and resources, certificates you know.
We need to go out and let all the families know when the date is, when the special day is.
Of course we have to go around and see all the Elders.
All the babies were given gifts.
So there’s a gift for each child and RFDS of course
made some amazing big cakes so there’s a lot of cooking.
So there is a fair bit of organising leading up to the day.
I guess it really does go back to the relationships that you build with the partners,
and the flexibility between us all, everyone takes a role.
Just speaking on all of our Elders that we have welcoming the children babies to our Country
we have them from different clan groups as well with Welcoming babies to Country.
Because it is a very, very special day.
Lots of people come along and we had some of the teachers come over from the school
and bring the pre-Preppies over and the childcare centre brought the little ones over
so it was a really nice celebration for all that age group really, for the young children.
We have a lot of children’s activities set up
the parents and the families and the Elders can see them playing in an
early learning environment which we feel is important.
So not only the babies but the siblings of the babies
as a soft touch introduction to early learning.
Like you know, when we have baptism,
talking about you know raising this child and nurturing them and you know having
he spoke about it takes a village to raise you know children too as well.
So that unity of you know bringing all the families together
because it’s not just up to one person, it’s the whole community.
So it just happens organically that the children are automatically
and families connected with all of these people that are there.
So whether it’s allied health services like speechies or,
while they’re there on that day those people are
all available for the families to ask and and connect with.
And building those relationships so when they do have to go to the hospital
they know exactly oh I’m going to see Doctor Chris.
So they’ve met him you know outside of that work environment
in a non-judgmental sort of environment where it’s open, free, relaxing, everyone’s talking.
There’s no, you know, like Leonie said
there’s no come into this desk here and going through and doing a proper consult.
No fear and no shame, it’s just connecting, yeah.