KOCA 

 Keeping Our Culture Alive

 Mona Mona Cultural Centre

Rhonda Brim as a member of the Australian Rainforest Council ARC. She activated this KOCA dream in the early 1990's as an aspect of her leadership development as an Elder of Djabagay Bama Heritage

Rhonda with the support of her mother and elder Winnie Brim and the Duffin Family: have been living and working at Mona Mona for a few years activating the Farm. See links below

KOCA has been using a CDEP work initiative to redevelop this living heritage at Mona Mona. In June 2008 supported by CDEP she ran KOCA training programs where 15 Djabugay apprentices have been trained in Pandanus; Lomandra; Black Palm & Lawyer Cane: their traditional Bama basketry

These basket making practices are the worlds oldest living continuum of traditional rainforest basketry

KOCA was funded by Arts Queensland Oct - Nov 2009  in partnership with CDEP to continue this training program and  maintain this basketry renaissance: in the Bi-Cornial half moon lawyer cane basket

Master Weaver Rhonda Brim is holding her Djabugay Material Cultural Knowledge as a living memory for her family and her people

Rhonda presents active living practice of living this dream

Okka Wikka is requesting Govt departments to give their absolute support on a National level for this KOCA business

The dedicated four months of learning how to make these 4 Bama rainforest baskets culminated with their basket collection in the Kick Arts Gallery in Cairns FNQ @ the Wet Tropics Blak Roots Exhibition on 28th November 08 & a photographic exhibition of the renaissance in FN Qld Bama baskets at Umi Arts with Gertrude Yosse February 09

Master Weavers: Abe Muriata Doris Kinjun Evelyn Omeenyo & Ruby Ludwick were the teachers at this Mona Mona renaissance in Bama Basketry.

Priscilla Major Shaun Edwards and her family @ Kowanyama invited Rhonda Brim & 4 weavers to be part of the Baby Festival in July 08. 

During these 4 months Waratah Nicholls facilitator @ the Hopevale Art and Culture centre organized a visit of her weavers to the Mona Mona basket weaving workshops so they could meet Rhonda Brim and her student weavers. In collaboration with the Hopevale Weavers there is preparation for the Weave the Web performance at the Laura Dance Festival: 19-21st June 09.

With this initiative coming from the Hopevale weavers: this 09 Laura Festival looks forward to a gathering of all Cape York weavers in a weaving performance called Weave the Web: it is a chance to speak up the renaissance in traditional basketry of FNQ

Arts Qld; Umi Arts; Kick Arts with Wet Tropics; Russell Milledge at JCU; CDEP; Arts Nexus & Okka Wikka/Urub Trust have given support to this KOCA program in 08