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In My Blood It Runs: Connections to Country

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Indigenous boy smiles while riding on the back of a ute
In My Blood It Runs: Connections to Country

SUBJECTS:  Geography

YEARS:  9–10


First Nations communities have powerful connections with Country.

These connections are reflected in spiritual narratives (sometimes referred to as Dreaming stories), which connect humans, animals, plants and minerals back to the creative spiritual forces who made the lands, seas and skies.

Connections to Country form the essence of identity for First Nations peoples. First Nations ways of knowing and being, and concepts of spirituality, cultures and Country, are inseparable and interlinked in powerful ways that the English language or colonial perspectives often cannot capture. Australia's history of colonisation; dispossession of and forced removal from traditional lands; and policies of cultural assimilation have impacted connections to Country and corresponding senses of personal and cultural identity for many First Nations peoples.

The continent of Australia is made up of a great diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Countries and geocultural communities. Connection to Country is important whether a person lives in the city or a rural area. This connection has been the core of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander existence in Australia from the time of the Dreaming, and it continues to be integral in their lives today, influencing spiritual, physical, cultural, social and emotional wellbeing. "Healthy Country, healthy people" is an intrinsic belief held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Indigenous communities have always held a responsibility of caring for Country throughout Australia.

How might non-Indigenous Australians be able to meaningfully learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and practices pertaining to the lands, seas and skies among which one lives and learns?


Things to think about

  1. 1.

    "Country in Aboriginal English is not only a common noun but also a proper noun. People talk about country in the same way that they would talk about a person: they speak to country, sing to country, visit country, worry about country, feel sorry for country, and long for country. People say that country knows, hears, smells, takes notice, takes care, is sorry or happy. Country is not a generalised or undifferentiated type of place, such as one might indicate with terms like 'spending a day in the country' or 'going up the country'. Rather, country is a living entity with a yesterday, today and tomorrow, with a consciousness, and a will toward life." – Rose, D., 1996. Nourishing Terrains: Australian Aboriginal Views of Landscape and Wilderness. Canberra, ACT: Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra, p.7.

    For First Nations peoples, Country is more than just dirt and rocks. Country is more than just property. Country is identity. Country is family and community. Country is culture. Country is spirituality. Discuss these statements as a group. Use the above quote to support your response.

  2. 2.Based on what you see and hear in the clip, how do you think Dujuan might have felt when he was driving out to his Country for the first time? What makes you think this? What kinds of things make you feel the same way? Why do you think Dujuan thrives when he returns to Country to learn from his grandmother and wider family and community? What do you think Dujuan means when he says, "When I'm out bush my Angangkere [healing power] is straight like a line, but when I am in town my Angangkere is wobbly"? How might this quote demonstrate the importance of connecting with Country and community when it comes to ensuring educational and socio-emotional wellbeing and empowerment?
  3. 3.Are there any places or settings in your own life that help you to feel strong or more fully like yourself? What is it about the place that helps you feel this way? Why do you think Dujuan feels differently on Country than he does in the Alice Springs township?
  4. 4.How do you think Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander understandings of, and connections to, Country compare to Western understandings of the "country" of Australia? How do you think language is connected to Country for Dujuan's family, and why do you think learning language on Country is important to them?


Teachers

This resource is an excerpt from the In My Blood It Runs ATOM guide. You can download the full guide and find more information about the associated impact campaigns and additional education resources here.



Date of broadcast: 5 Jul 2020


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2020 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Posted , updated