Milbi Dabaar

This book provides insights through stories and teachings that will assist teachers, leaders, pastors and students for use within Christian ministry among Aborigines in Australia. Milbi Dabaar does not cover one particular view, but presents a range of views developed over many years by a group of more than 20 Indigenous Christian leaders and Elders. The suggestion to bring this group together in conversation came from Rev Dennis Corowa, Minister of the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Uniting Church Congregation in Townsville. The book is the culmination of these conversations, sharing and meetings.

A key idea that runs through the whole book is the meeting of traditional Indigenous Spirituality with Christian Spirituality and Theology – and how these reflections result in Indigenous theology.

This book is a resource for Aboriginal Christians, but also for other Australians who would like to know more about the cultural and other views of the world that Indigenous people hold. This book affirms that Aboriginal people had experiences of God long before the arrival of Europeans. One of the authors, elder and theological teacher Pastor George Rosendale of Hopevale, reflects on this:

“This Creator being for the Aborigines was for real. They had faith in the teaching that he gave them…often we see in every painting that this Creator has no mouth…he has given his teaching, he has given the laws to the elders… he’s in his sacred place resting, looking after the land, his creation…he doesn’t talk any more.”

The cover of Milbi Dabaar features a painting created and owned by North Queensland Indigenous artist and Wontulp-Bi-Buya student Zane Saunders who has been bestowed by Pastor Rosendale with the Guugu Yimithirr language name of "Ngamu Mangal Bungal" (Mr Clever Hands). The artist told Wontulp-Bi-Buya:

“As an Aboriginal person the gift or talent that I work is art, portraying my Indigenous heritage and my Christian spirituality. I found with involving myself through the Wontulp-Bi-Buya College in Indigenous theology and community development courses, my spirituality and connection with God and the Jesus story has taken on strength and given me empowering visions for my life, family and our Aboriginal people, to trace back and connect our life with God, our country and spirit.”

The book offers new insights that invite the reader to think of the ancient spiritual history of this land from the point of view of its first inhabitants and their ancestors.