Lorraine Mafi-Williams and Isabel Coe

Two remarkable, well-known Aboriginal Leaders, Visionary - Activist - Filmmaker Lorainne Mafi-Williams (1940-2001) (left) and Sacred Firekeeper - Activist - Artist Isabel Coe (below), share stories and viewpoints about their lives, their culture, and ancient prophesies that are unfolding.

John Veltri met Lorraine Mafi-Williams (left) in 1988 in New York and filmed her as she talked about her culture and shared prophecies that she had been given to bring to the Western world. This meeting impacted both of their lives. Although Lorraine unfortunately passed on in 2001, the filmings that John did of her have etched her messages into his memory. Click here to read an interview with Lorraine.

Almost 20 years later, John and Marguerite went to Australia on a quest to locate Lorraine’s relatives and friends. Australian filmmaker Kathy Aigner  -  best known for her controversial film, Australian Atomic Confessions, about the devastating contamination of atomic bomb testings in Australia  -  took them on a memorable journey through the Blue Mountains to meet Lorraine’s longtime friend, Aboriginal Activist-Painter Isabel Coe (below).

Isabel talked about Lorraine Mafi-Williams, and told stories about her family, the history of her culture, and some of the experiences she has had as Aboriginal Tent Embassy Ambassador and Keeper of the Sacred Fire. Scroll down to read more about Isabel Coe’s activism.

THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

The story spans thousands of years and links other important dreaming sites and people across Australia. Muggadah Dreaming is told in the constellations of Pleiades and Orion. Muggadah affects people's consciousness, for its arrival indicates a time of great planetary change. Ancient stone engravings at the cliff edges map the passage of stars in the night sky. These dreaming stories belong to the traditional custodians and are told on different levels. Traditional law and custom prohibit the telling of the full story of the Seven Sisters to uninitiated people.

Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo are the Three Sisters in Gedumbah (in the Valley of the Blue Mountains, above) in New South Wales, Australia.  A popular tourist destination for hikers and climbers who visit from around the world, the Aboriginal people consider the Three Sisters to be a sacred place. They believe this special place should never be walked on, climbed upon or disturbed.

The Aboriginal Flag (shown above left with the eyes of Isabel Coe’s granddaughter Nioka, above right, the Voice of the Future) was originally designed for the land rights movement. It has since became a symbol of the Aboriginal people of Australia. Black represents the Aboriginal people of Australia. Red represents the red earth, the red ochre, and a spiritual relation to the land. Yellow represents the Sun, the giver of life and protector.

“The Aboriginal Tent Embassy believes that all Aboriginal people's oppressive living conditions will not change until `unfinished business' is addressed, based on `just terms', with recognition and acknowledgment of Aboriginal sovereign rights. Aboriginal people are still arbitrarily denied our continuous freedom of existent. The Aboriginal Tent Embassy will continue to resist this colonial encroachment until the matter of Aboriginal Sovereignty is satisfactorily addressed.”   Read more http://www.aboriginaltentembassy.net/