Watch as Rhondie, a traditional owner from Kowanyama, returns to camp on Olkola Country with his Mob. It was an emotional welcome back to Country for all involved.
As a young child with complex disabilities, Rhondie Koolatah was relocated from Kowanyama in North Queensland and removed from his family to be placed in an institution in South East Qld.
When Life Without Barriers came into his life, things started to turn around for Rhondie. We found out he had not been home for 20 years, so we worked to reconnect him with his Kin and Country.
Our country heals us, our people heal us, our culture heals us
After a very long journey, Rhondie was welcomed home with a special fire, a water blessing and Ochre ceremony by Michael Yam, the Mayor of Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council . You can see by watching the video what a significant effect this trip has on Rhondie, especially being physically connected to the land and his family.
Image: Rhondie returns home to camp on Olkola Country in Far North Queensland
Life Without Barriers had a deep commitment to reconciliation and regularly supports people with disability and children in foster care to Return to Country
A special thanks to our Cairns Operational Manager, Asher Meadowns for supporting Rhondie on this trip and to Tom Hearn, Producer and Director BushTV, for producing this story.
