Being Good Hosts Can Be Very Demanding!!

It seems Bana Yarralji's key cultural entreprenuers, Marilyn & Peter Wallace, have been building relationships, welcoming people into their lives, and working towards their vision for their whole lives!!  

If anyone asks when they first started working towards their vision, it goes back, back before the decision to set up on country; back before the early Balkanu Cape York Development efforts in the early 2000's to assist people move on to country; back before Peter Wallace was chairperson of Wujal Wujal Council; back before Marilyn's Mum so contantly urged them back 'home'.

The vision, it seems, has been growing for a long, long time, with a lot of life energy being expended building relationships, building partnerships, inviting people into their lives, constantly hosting people en route to becoming what they are now striving to be ie good Aboriginal hosts on country, using 'hosting' as a means to achieve a vision.

Most admirably, though, in a life full of extended family, poverty, racism, chronic health problems, and serious wellbeing issues and stresss .. it is a tribute to the strength of these entrepreneurs faith, that they continue to be able to constantly smile, give warm welcome, and generally host whole range of peoples at whole range of times, at whole range of hours.

It is most admirable Bana Yarralji's key entrepreneurs continue to be committed and able to be good Aboriginal hosts providing genuine experience of Aboriginal lore, generously sharing knowledge and recruiting people to their vision.   It is admirable and, as a business, it is a risk!!

To seek to build an enterprise and a build a future around being good hosts is hard work.  It is hard, demanding work, and at this stage, now, of the journey into forming a cultural entreprise (against the odds?)  ..  Marilyn and Peter Wallace may be feeling some of the accumulating stresses and strains of constantly striving to be good on country hosts.

Over the last couple of weeks, recognizing the increasing risk, Bana Yarralji has started looking around (with some positive sounding prospects) to secure some very purpose designed 'cultural hosting' training and experience up on country early in the new calander year - enabling whole range of other Nyungkal family members to also practice and trial hosting, catering, providing cultural experience .. and help pick up some of the load, towards a clear, positive, shared vision for the future!!