Kukabrak Tribal Elders

Hear about the gathering from the Kukabrak elders themselves in this 3-minute video just below or on smart phones simply click the green play button the on the left side of the Red Pledge now button.

ThIS next wave of pledges will go towards financing a camera and sound person to make a good quality recording of the appropriate moments of the journey AND post production. 

This footage will be vital to share at a community level and help expand the reach of this vital work.  

 We are making history by supporting tribal elders from Australia to travel to he USA travel for a meet face to face meeting with Lakota Elders in South Dakota this July.  

This gathering will fast track understanding on how to implement successful programs and strategies that preserve culture, save lives and help close the gap on alarming statistics. The elders feel this will also invigorate there energy and strength for whats lays ahead. 

This July 2019  - Mark Koolmatrie and 7 other elders from the Original Southern South Australian Tribes will embark on a world first gathering in South Dakota - United States of America.

For 2 weeks they will be seeking and sharing wise counsel, advice, healing and celebration 

with the Lakota first nations elders. 

The Elders seek our support to make this journey a reality.

Kukabrak elders wish to hear stories

• Longevity of Lakota culture.
• maintaining culture -  ceremony - dances - ritual - language.
• What are the continued challenges in particular engaging the youth and the elders?
• Working effectively alongside government 
• Strategies for Healing Trans-generational trauma - Holistic Trauma.
• Keeping identity & integrity within context of modern world with ancient values. 

• Skills to run a successful small Business with Economic development and business acumen

• Invigorate new models of management

• How to walk within two cultures but not lose sight of traditional culture.

• How Decrease substance abuse and eradicate Suicide

• Positive reinforcement of culture and identity

• Strong and positive intergenerational connections

• On the front foot of Initiative (not always relying on government)

• Reinvent some of the old ways

Your generous pledge will allow for 

Camera and sound opperator to accompany the elders and record important inforamtion.

Funds will also assist the painstaking process of editing and post production. 

Mark Koolmatrie 

is a Kukabrak elder of the land, waters and cosmology of southern south Australia.

He is Chairperson and spokesperson for the Original Southern South Australian Tribes Corporation. He has worked in a wide variety of roles - as a teacher - adult educator - Aboriginal youth vocational development - Aboriginal men's health educator, hereditary diseases education and Indigenous sexual and reproductive health. 

He was Coordinator of South Australia first Aboriginal men's gathering in 2001.

He holds a Graduate diploma of Indigenous research in Tribal identity and a

Graduate diploma in natural and cultural resource Management  (Deakin University, Geelong)

Marks aim is to find out how can indigenous people not only survive - but thrive in the 21st century. 

He also feels in order to go forward we have to go back.

Anyone with a compassion and empathy knows the challenges for Indigenous people.

Obscene incarceration rates, marked reduced life expectancy, inhumane government policies, historical forced removal of children, economic poverty, under representation in government, substance abuse, mental health issues and suicide.

Let's walk together in a movement of the people.

The whole project we have budgeted at $55K

With your generous help we already hit $21k 

Your generous pledge will allow for 

Camera and sound opperator to accompany the elders and record important inforamtion.

Funds will also assist the painstaking process of editing and post production.

Our extended $25K target will help tpo pay for some of the associated costs of 

sound and camera hire and opperator fees

The Initial 21K will contribute to 

$1500 New Passports

$4000 Transport and petrol in the  USA (van hire)

$3500 Food and catering for gathering.

$8000 accommodation 

$3000 towards Airfares 

To be transperent - we pay POZIBLE a platform fees 5% - This allows us to use there WEBSITE, reputation and they also help us to market and share - to ensure we reach max audience coverage.