This print is based on the effects of marijuana and how its use makes you lose touch with your family, community and your culture. Family, community and culture are integral to Torres Strait Islander identity. This print shows, from top to bottom, family connections; our strong association with sea food such as fish and turtle; our seafaring ways; Christianity; weaving and dance traditions. Smoking drugs makes culture seem unimportant and causes disrespect to our elders. We need to keep our culture strong and retain our identity for future generations.

The image embodies traditional knowledge of the Thursday Island community. It was created with the consent of the custodians of the community. Dealing with any part of it for any purpose that has not been authorised by the custodians is a serious breach of the customary laws of the Thursday Island community and may also breach the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). For enquiries about this and other permitted reproduction and use of the image, please contact George Gabey via Tagai State College Thursday Island Secondary Campus.

Artwork photography by Matthew Venables.

The canvas was painted by Michael Gallagher of the Walungurru (Kintore) Community and represents his depiction of cannabis and drug problems on communities. On the left side, he has drawn pictures of healthy lifestyle choices made by young people including softball and football. On the right hand side, he has drawn representations of cannabis and drugs from his experience. The translation of his story (top) reads like this:

“Long ago they (our young people) were sniffing petrol and smoking gunja. Now, they are safe and well (finally). Take care of our home, Walungurru (Kintore). Leave it - petrol and gunja! Listen to your elders – our grandfathers and grandmothers.”

View the Kintore community project

The image embodies traditional knowledge of the Kintore community. It was created with the consent of the custodians of the community. Dealing with any part of it for any purpose that has not been authorised by the custodians is a serious breach of the customary laws of the Kintore community and may also breach the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). For enquiries about this and other permitted reproduction and use of the image, please contact the Kintore community.

Artwork photography by Matthew Venables.

This artwork depicts a healthy, safe community - free from cannabis, alcohol and other drugs. In discussions prior to completing the artwork, the women decided that rather than depict images of how cannabis robs them of culture and identity, they would paint something that reminds people of where their sources of strength come from. The painting includes images of families, local food, animals and plants, as well as the local mountain ranges – a source of strength, identity and women’s and men’s ‘dreaming’ and ceremony country – Pulikutjarra (Two Hills) and Ngintaka (Perentie).

View the Kintore community project

The image embodies traditional knowledge of the Kintore community. It was created with the consent of the custodians of the community. Dealing with any part of it for any purpose that has not been authorised by the custodians is a serious breach of the customary laws of the Kintore community and may also breach the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). For enquiries about this and other permitted reproduction and use of the image, please contact the Kintore community.

Artwork photography by Matthew Venables.

The small grants scheme provided opportunities for Indigenous community members to plan and implement their own community-based health promotion and cannabis prevention activities for school age students, young people and community members in an intergenerational way.

At Walungurru Community, strong local men and women who work in different services (including the primary and high schools, child care centre, women’s centre and community council) ran a range of activities including sport carnivals, bush trips, art and music activities, breakfast/meal programs and parent support activities. They focussed on growing as strong Indigenous people and learning how to survive and thrive despite the daily pressures of remote and cross-cultural life, including the pressures around drugs, alcohol and cannabis.

The music project included a travelling band which visited six remote communities in the Northern Territory, including Kintore, with songs being performed in traditional language and dealing with issues surrounding cannabis and other drug use as well as explicit health and lifestyle messages.

The sports project included printing the slogan, ‘Ukiri Wanti’ (Leave it! Gunja) on the guernseys of the Kintore Blues football team.

Community members have been empowered and impacted in a variety of positive ways, including:

• opportunities to design and implement community programs independently
• share with one another about local issues
• problem solve for solutions and meaningful outcomes and celebrate areas of strength including cultural knowledge, connectedness to community and positive identity

Cannabis came to our community in the early years; it had never been part of our culture. It caused conflict, loss of family values, younger children to be neglected, loss of respect towards Elders and other community members, mental illness and sadness.

The community was in fear of the anger and depression cannabis was causing. Darkness came over the community as cannabis use increased. The stronger members saw the effects on individuals and knew that path was wrong. With their strength and leadership, with their knowledge of family and culture, guidance and support is being given to those affected by drug use. The darkness is being lifted and the community is moving forward to a brighter future. Drugs will not ruin our life, our community, it is not our culture.

The image embodies traditional knowledge of the Jubullum community. It was created with the consent of the custodians of the community. Dealing with any part of it for any purpose that has not been authorised by the custodians is a serious breach of the customary laws of the Jubullum community and may also breach the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). For enquiries about this and other permitted reproduction and use of the image, please contact the Jubullum community.

Artwork photography by Matthew Venables.

This artwork depicts evil spirits rising from the cannabis leaf and the footsteps are the individuals turning their back and walking away from it all.

View the Griffith community project

The image embodies traditional knowledge of the Wiradjuri community. It was created with the consent of the custodians of the community. Dealing with any part of it for any purpose that has not been authorised by the custodians is a serious breach of the customary laws of the Wiradjuri community and may also breach the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). For enquiries about this and other permitted reproduction and use of the image, please contact the Wiradjuri community.

Artwork photography by Matthew Venables.

Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) received funding for a number of community-building, health-promotion projects with its Men’s and Women’s groups.

Some activities that have taken place include a visit by Noby Clay, a vibrant young Aboriginal female boxer from Palm Island to the Griffith AMS Women’s Group. She talked to the local community about her early hardships through to her current status as an Australian 2012 Olympic Hopeful. The Women’s group has also run weekly jewellery making and arts and crafts workshops.

The Men’s Group has been involved in various work projects around the area such as the Wiradjuri Pre-School revamp, making their own salami & entering it into the local salami competition, periodic bush Mulga runs collecting raw material for the making of Aboriginal artefacts, a visit from Brad Hardman (Aboriginal disability advocate for the local Golf Day) and the men having the ‘Cannabis, its not our Culture’ & Support Group logo printed on shirts.

Upcoming projects include the Griffith AMS soon relocating to larger premises with the Support Groups to be provided with their own shed, which will be fitted with proper work benches, crafts tables, shelving, tools, machinery & recreational equipment which the groups will build & install themselves.

My painting represents the life-force I believe everybody is born with. As it grows it can go two ways. It can flourish or it can wither away. When we flourish we grow healthy and strong and are at peace with ourselves. Or we can go the other way and slowly wither, losing our health and the peace that gives us a good life and makes us grow strong.

As a mother I know too well how it can affect a whole family and destroy lives. It is hard to watch a child throw his life and health away. Never having money, trying so hard to keep the branches strong so they grow big and strong. If you have ever had one of your branches poisoned then you know how too well it can destroy their growth and prosperity. If as a community we can grow together and show awareness we would flourish. People need people just as plants need water and tender loving care. There is nothing better than watching your children grow strong and happy, having a good life and spreading their seed growing new life. I hope all plants can grow strong, healthy, happy and spread their seed leaving a good legacy.

View the Nowra community project

For enquiries about permitted reproduction and use of the image, please contact Amanda McGowan via Waminda South Coast Women’s Health & Welfare Aboriginal Corporation, Nowra.

Artwork photography by Matthew Venables.

The artists wanted to create a work that portrayed the importance of connection to Aboriginal culture and a journey beyond substance use for those who experienced the negative impacts of cannabis use.

The use of smoke as a motif throughout the work on mirrors can provide a double meaning for the viewer. While there is a link to smoke as an aspect of cannabis use which has a negative effect of masking reality, there is a more profound connection to what smoke symbolises culturally. From a ritual perspective the smoking ceremony using gum leaves is for cleansing and represents a vital part of cultural strength, health and spirituality. The tension of holding these two perspectives provides the viewer with an opportunity to consider how they identify with smoke as they see themselves reflected in the context of the artwork.

As an individual we sometimes struggle and when we come into community we are able to achieve our goals and walk together in strength.

The work symbolises the reality of being trapped in the cycle of drug use and the potential to change and grow. Three spirit figures within a tree - male, female and youth, represent the effect of drug use on everyone. One side of the tree is dead, representing being trapped in a life of drug use. One side of the tree is alive representing growth and hope.

The gum leaves and smoke that are shown in this work are symbolic of the smoking ceremony and health of our people.

View the Geelong community project

For enquiries about reproduction and use of the artwork, please contact the artists via the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative.

Artwork photography by Tom Armstrong.

Stage One of the ‘Beyond Smoke and Mirrors’ project saw the development of a postcard for the community health centre featuring the glass sculpture created by artists at Wathaurong Glass & Arts and information about where to seek help for cannabis use problems.

The ‘Cannabis: It’s not our culture’ project, from a local government perspective, has created an avenue for connection, partnerships and shared learning.

Stage 2 of our project ‘Beyond Smoke and Mirrors’ has seen the artwork tour around the Barwon South West Region of Victoria, capturing community and media attention. A larger project involving Ilbijerri Theatre (the only indigenous theatre company in Victoria) the Torch project and Wathaurong is in the planning. It is proposed that Wathaurong, in partnership with Ilbijerri Theatre, develop a performance piece that explores the concept of ‘Cannabis: It’s not our culture’. The development stage will involve the local story content, artwork and design. It is planned to take the final performance to the wider community.