The below photo is of an indigenous woman named Chelsea, who is one of the people who's spent much of the last three years defending indigenous Women's Country in Western Victoria, Australia, and who was there on 26 October 2020, the day that riot police violently moved protectors (many of whom were women and children) off site so that VicRoads could cut down the Directions Tree, a 300 - 350 year old Spirit Tree that was sacred to the Djabwarrung people.
The photo is her with her kids in front of the now-destroyed Directions Tree. They are the last generation of indigenous children who got to see and touch this Spirit Tree, which was one of the last of its kind left in Victoria.
Nearly three years, people have been camped in front of this tree to protect her from bulldozers and chainsaws. Last week, those people and their allies were all forcibly moved off site. 60 people were arrested. $250,000 worth of fines were handed out. One protector got his arm dislocated. Another was dragged away by his hair. And VicRoads moved in and murdered the Directions Tree.
And now 300 years of living cultural heritage is destroyed.
To support the people who have spent two and a half years living on the land defending this and other culturally and spiritually important trees in the area, please donate and/or share this post.
We're still trying to save other spiritual and cultural trees in the area. The two Grandfather Trees are estimated to be somewhere between 700 to 900 years old, and they are still in the firing line. The Grandmother/birthing trees are in the same age range, and only one of those is protected under the bogus "agreement" signed by Eastern Maar.