Recently I’ve had two different experiences that have sharpened my connection to the wisdom of the indigenous elders of our land.
The passing of Doolann Leisha Eatts was very sad for her husband Wally, albeit a relief in the end to stop the suffering. I was honoured by being asked by the family to say some words at the funeral, a result of me helping her write her story that was published in 2014. She had a hard life by most standards, growing up on reserves in the wheatbelt, a difficult first marriage but coming through that with a strong sense of who she was and determination to help her people. She was a great friend to reconciliation movement and that is how I met her in 2001 when she did a welcome to country at Lake Monger that our reconciliation group had organised. Through her granny, Fanny Yurleen Bennell, she had heard the old stories. She and Wally have been strong leaders and role models to her extensive family and to all of us. She was gentle yet strong – even telling Prince Phillip off at CHOGM for 'taking our land from us'.
The second was a weekend on country with Noel Nannup and 20 odd others. We were taken around the Avon River catchment listening to stories of the land and the traditions of Noongar people. I have listened to Noel for many years but it was a different experience to have him there on country and not within four walls. His depth of knowledge from learning from his family, his 19 years at CALM and since, going around to listen and ask the ‘old people’ along with his ability to remember them and his story telling powers qualifies him as a living legend of our community. His powers of observation was humbling – ‘can you smell the bush honey?’ No I couldn’t, ‘did you notice the wind has shifted?’ – no I hadn’t; ‘can you hear that bird call can you see it in the tree over there’ – well now that you mention it I can hear it but after 5 minutes of staring into the trees I still couldn’t see it, let alone understand what was going on.
How useful is this traditional knowledge today? Well some if it has been overtaken by modern scientific understandings but the core element has much to teach us how to live. How to live in harmony with the natural world and with each other. How to live in connection and value each tree, each bird, to observe the seasonal changes and understand the significance of these changes. They did not write any of this down but lived by experiences, music, art and story telling – how impressive is it for them to tell stories of sea level changes, of shifts in the earth’s orbit and comets and other infrequent astronomical happenings.
Am I romanticising the traditional ways too much? Well yes I recognise the fact that I sit in the comfort of my cosy home with electricity and soft bed with medicines to ensure I could live to an old age. Yet that aside, we are lost as a community, we are divided, we can’t deal with conflict, we lock up our children who don’t conform, we treat animals as commodities, we live with anxiety, many in loneliness especially our old people who get put into care. Our solution to global conflict is to build elaborate weapons of mass destruction.
I am convinced that indigenous traditional knowledge is our gift to the world and some day in my lifetime I hope it is given the due recognition it deserves. Wouldn’t it be fitting that kids around the world would be learning traditional ways before learning about the ancient Greeks or Romans? Before then I’d hope our teenagers could be in tune with this understanding and especially for confused noongar kids that they can walk tall in what their mob have to teach us.
So in active hope terms: I’m grateful to the elders such as Noel and Doolann who retained traditional knowledge and have passed this on to younger generations.
I honour the pain that elders have lived through, their struggle to hold the responsibility and pass on the wisdom especially when demands are so high and social issues are pressing all around.
To see with new eyes: I wish to see with the eyes of the wise, to understand better the world we live in, TO TUNE IN – my theme of the recent weekend. To question my choices when it comes at the expense of others and the environment.
Going forth: to make time to practice daily listening to country, to stay in wonder, to ask for acceptance, to live in balance, to tread lightly, to be an ally of the elders and be guided by their wisdom rather than pushing my own barrow. I’m also keen to carry on conversations with my own friends and family and be an agent of change in my own sphere of influence.
Photos:
1. Doolann Leisha Eatts (courtesy City of Perth Cultural Collections by Eva Fernandez, https://moorditjbridyas.heritageperth.com.au/maam-yok-doolann-leisha-eatts-nee-garlett-yarran/
2. Noel Nannup. (source: ABC)
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