Mosaic headstones help people work through grief for lost loved ones

At a cemetery in remote New South Wales, Australia, the weather is dry and hot, with temperatures reaching 34 degrees Celsius. Monica Kerwin gazes at a gravesite she wishes she never had to see. Three years ago, the 55-year-old Barkandji woman from Wilcannia suffered an unimaginable tragedy: the death of her son by suicide.

Ms. Kerwin says that while her parents, grandparents, siblings, and uncles are all buried in this cemetery, the pain of losing her son is even more unbearable. She recalls, "Every day, I would sit on the back veranda and cry. It was too hard to accept... I still can't accept it, and I don't think anyone can easily accept that someone they love has passed away."

Ms. Kerwin's way of healing her grief is unique. She uses her own hands and a large amount of broken tiles to ensure that her son's vibrant smile and passion for rugby will never be forgotten. Ms. Kerwin is a founding member of Paaka Thartu Karnu, a grassroots community project that teaches Indigenous people mosaic art so they can create personalized and affordable headstones for their deceased loved ones, some of whom previously had no headstones at all.

The project was founded in 2018 but has been on hold for the past few years, as both Ms. Kerwin and the other founder, Kelvin Thornycroft, lost close family members. But Ms. Kerwin says that using her project to manage grief has, over time, inspired her to relaunch the service because she knows it has helped many people. She explains, "It's special because you take a tile, something that's already created, and you break it into 20 pieces, and then you put it back together. I feel like that represents the brokenness you feel for your loved one who has passed away, but you are reconnecting the pieces, trying to heal yourself."

Since its inception six years ago, dozens of brightly colored headstones have adorned the Wilcannia cemetery. Steven Harris, a local Barkandji man, says, "I like going to the cemetery and seeing these mosaic headstones that people have made over the past few years; they look really great and brighten up the cemetery." While Mr. Thornycroft will not be returning to the project full-time, Ms. Kerwin, as the sole operator, has his full support. Mr. Harris, who made headstones for his parents through the initial 10-week workshop, says he is also very much looking forward to seeing the project relaunched. Mr. Harris says, "Making the headstones makes you feel very proud... I don't want to give it up. I've done a few since then, besides my own, and if they do start up again, I wouldn't hesitate to join and be happy to help."

Gregory Phillips, an adjunct professor of Indigenous health at Griffith University's School of Medicine, also appreciates how the project improves the mental health of local Indigenous people, especially when dealing with death. The Waanyi and Jaru man says, "Colonization means that our mortality rates are much higher than the general population, and the age of death is also younger, so there are usually many more funerals for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Any community that can deal with grief and deal with it in a ritualistic or positive way helps with healing and recovery."

In addition to reviving the project in Wilcannia, Ms. Kerwin also dreams of further developing the project, such as installing concrete slabs next to the headstones and sharing the project with other Indigenous communities. She says that before the pandemic, when she and Mr. Thornycroft introduced the project to small groups in Menindee and Kempsey, they received positive responses, but achieving this goal requires financial support. She says, "I would like to see it promoted nationally across Australia... Many Indigenous communities need this project." Dr. Phillips says he believes Paaka Thartu Karnu has the potential to be promoted nationally, but that ultimately depends on finding the right partners. He says, "One of the risks with government funding is that they want to take over and own it. So if the community can find a way to partner with government, charities, or corporate partners to ensure it remains a community-based and operated project, I think that would be its strength."