YUMI OLGETA
Introduction
Yumi Olgeta: Crafting a More Inclusive Democracy is a unique collaboration that has formed over the last five years between ASSIPJ, Australian Artist Helen Fraser and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House in Canberra. In 2017 Helen joined an international quilt project called the United Declaration of Human Rights Quilt Project developed by Dr Tal Fitzpatrick (Melbourne) and Stephanie Dunlap (USA) which led her to research Australia’s Slave Trade history.
Her quilt block in this project was titled “Australia has a Slave History too” and was projected onto the front of Old Parliament House during the Canberra Enlighten Festival in 2019. It is now part of the Museum of Australian Democracy collection as they purchased the four quilts from this project in 2020.
As a white, middle aged woman born in country Victoria Helen was shocked and profoundly upset that she did not know about the history of blackbirding. Wanting a more personal perspective she reached out to Waskam Emelda Davis, Chairwoman of the Australian South Sea Islanders Port Jackson and travelled to Sydney in November 2018 to meet some of the community. When Elder Auntie Shireen Malaboo said the words “If we tell the truth we will all grow up”, Helen was committed to finding a way to learn and contribute to a more inclusive society where blackbirding is recognised and descendants honoured.
With the help of the creative team at the Museum of Australian Democracy she joined with Emelda, Auntie Lydia George, Danny Togo and the Napen Napen Cultural Women visiting from Vanuatu for a heartfelt conversation about the true history of this nation. Participants were able to listen while chain stitching an embroidery block Helen designed in collaboration with ASSIPJ to symbolise the calling together of the community with the conch shell. It was a powerful day of truth-telling and learning.
Due to the success and impact of this first workshop the participants decided to donate their blocks for a commemorative ASSI Quilt. Helen’s network also contributed so we now have 40 blocks for a colourful border for the quilt. With the help of the City of Sydney we recently commissioned the Napen Napen Women in Port Vila, Vanuatu to create three custom designed weavings to add significant wording, symbolism and to honour the Yumi 40 Anniversary which has taken place during the project this year. The weavings will be surrounded by a patchwork of culturally symbolic motifs – the frangipani and hibiscus flower, the sugar cane plant and the turtle.
In collaboration with the City of Sydney and the Australian South Sea Islanders Port Jackson, Helen ran further face to face embroidery and applique workshops on 23rd August 2022 in Sydney to support participants to create one of these four designs which will suit beginners to advanced stitchers. Participants have been invited to donate their embroidered and appliqued motifs for the centrepiece of the ASSI Commemorative Quilt that will be donated to the Museum of Australian Democracy in August 2023.
What does Yumi Olgeta mean?
Yumi Olgeta (pronounced 'Yumi Olgeda') means 'you and me, together' in Bislama language (pronounced 'Bishlama'). This was the way that the Australian South Sea Islanders, kidnapped from over 80 islands of the Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, communicated with one another during the blackbirding period of 1847 and 1908.
Click on this chain stitch photo to hear a short U-Tube video of Bislama language being spoken....
Our first Workshop
Saturday the 17th August, 2019 at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra.
Napen Napen Cultural women of Port Vila, Vanuatu
We were also lucky enough to have the company of three women visiting from Vanuatu under a scheme funded by the Vanuatu Government. Josephine, Anna and Aveline work in Port Vila for the Vanuatu Connection - Arts and Krafts and are very skilled weavers. They were accompanied by Danny Togo from Sydney, who is on the Board of ASSI-PJ. Emelda, Josephine, Anne, Aveline and Danny were initially dressed in traditional clothing and right from the start spoke with passion and openness about their history and its impact on them, their families and communities. There was story-telling, singing, dancing, tears, laughter, hugging and gift-giving - it was a truly magical and unforgettable event that taught us all so much.
The chain stitch embroidery design
To show the possibilities of simple chain stitch, I completed the block using our selected colours from the Australian South Sea Islanders - Port Jackson logo. We are encouraging participants to consider their skill level. Simple chain can be used effectively for a flat all over finish using the colours provided in the workshop.
However, participants can also branch out using the instructions given to try 8 other chain stitch styles. There are approximately 100 different types of chain stitch so there's plenty to learn.
Click on the photo above to read an article about the Yumi Olgeta Workshop written by Waskam Emelda Davis, Chairwoman of ASSI-PJ
Project 1: 25th Anniversary ASSI Commemorative Quilt
Due to the enthusiasm of Yumi Olgeta Workshop participants to contribute their blocks to a Craftivism object, we decided to open up the project to anyone around the world to be all inclusive. Over five years (2019-2024) we collected 38 border blocks and over 110 motifs from 57 participants in Australia and the USA. The Napen Napen Women of Vanuatu Arts and Krafts were commissioned to create three traditional weavings which are featured on the quilt. With help of a grant from the City of Sydney in 2020 we developed a 12 page PDF Embroidery and Applique Instruction Booklet. This enabled people to contribute during the pandemic and were also used during two workshops at beautiful Sydney Library locations in 2022 and 2023.
Here's the finished quilt introduced for the first time at SugarFest 2024 at the Calyx in the Sydney Botanical Gardens on the 25th October 2024. It will be showcased at SugarFest 2025 and then donated to the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House in Canberra by the end of 2025.
Join our 2nd Quilt Project!
We would love you to join our second project to bring further recognition to Australia's Slave Trade history of blackbirding and to create a beautiful craftivism object for the City of Sydney. There are no deadlines for our projects so you can send a quilt block at your leisure. If you have an already completed a motif for please send to Helen Fraser Artist, P O Box 36, Gisborne, Victoria, 3437, Australia. Your support and effort is greatly appreciated.
Please contact me at helenfraserartist@bigpond.com if you would like me to send you a free embroidery kit or you have any questions or media requests regarding the projects or collaboration.
Australian South Sea Islanders Port Jackson
Australian South Sea Islanders (Port Jackson) (ASSIPJ) was formed in Sydney NSW with the support of an elder’s council and younger ASSI community leaders in 2010. The purpose of ASSIPJ was to build on past and continue the much-needed advocacy work that will eventually see the truth told of a history that is challenging, conflicting and very complex for the descendants of Australia’s Blackbirding trade.
The ASSIPJ journey has been one of both extreme frustration and heartache as well as breakthrough and joy as we worked for the recognition of some 60,000 Melanesian men and women that were stolen, culturally kidnapped and displaced from the eighty islands of Vanuatu and Solomons. This included many children who were not documented on ship-logs. These people were forced into a Sugar Slave trade and worked alongside First Nations peoples in pastoral, maritime and other industries that established the economic base of our country.
Today, 175 years later, the work of ASSIPJ and many ASSI organisations continues to advocate for inclusion, with minimal progress. This in a country that prides itself on Diversity and Inclusion through Multiculturalism as part of the great Australian narrative.
2019 marked the 25th Anniversary of the recognition of Australian South Sea Islanders by the 1994 Keating Government as suffering severe discrimination and racism. The recognition by that Government of the community as a ‘distinct cultural group’ who valued our islands of origin and cultural heritage promised greater inclusion in programs and services.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO INTERVIEW ON TALANOA RADIO 2XX CANBERRA BY VALERIE BICHARD WITH WASKAM EMELDA DAVIS.