This session was themed How can we decolonise practice? The big issues – Colonisation, Compassion and Climate Change, children and young people

Ruth Langford guided us on this session on Kunanyi / Mt Wellington to learn directly from the ‘most powerful of provocateurs - Country’.  Ruth spoke to us about deep listening on country and invited us spend an hour of solo time to be led by country. We spent the afternoon sharing our experiences, listening to our colleagues experience within this hour of learning. This session enabled profound experiences that most in the group speak of as the highlight of all our sessions for the year.

On the mountain…

My personal learning drew me to the disturbed sites on the mountain; the springs hotel site that was destroyed by fire; a tip site for the old hotel with old broken crockery and bottles; the large tract of the power lines; the devastation by the recent storms; the strangely sited Astronomy Societies Listening Station; the fire trails and a large clump of daffodils in start contrast to the indigenous vegetation. Feeling overwhelmed by this walk through area after area of disturbance within the national park I found a protected rocky scree that was covered with incredibly diverse, dense and old mosses. This space felt nurturing and allowed reflection on the disturbed sites. Later when we shared our experiences with the group we found that many of us ended up being drawn to these mossy spaces around the springs. Sinsa Mansell, who describes herself as a ‘proud Pakana woman’, after hearing many of us speak on being drawn to these mossy spaces shared that in indigenous culture Kunanyi is considered feminine and that the mosses are regarded as important female element. She mentioned that the mountain had been a place for birthing. I thought about this for some time afterwards and it led me to reading the book Gathering Moss by the scientist and Indigenous American woman Robin Kimmerer.  After much searching Robin found that mosses were used traditionally by women for their absorbancy, for birth, babies and menstruation. This helped me to understand a little of the mountain and idea of mosses as a female element.(Bec Stevens)

In the afternoon we met at UTAS for a Riawunna Lecture by Jimmy Everett-purlia meenamatta titled Learning to Understand “How do Aborigines define themselves in a world dominated by non-Aboriginal cultures and philosophies? Is there a difference and if so what is the difference? Why are cultural awareness programs for white people inadequate in trying to educate them to understand?

Jimmy began by talking about Pat Dodson’s statement that aboriginals are “something else citizens” he spoke strongly about what he understands as the ‘state of exemption’ that aboriginal cultures live within and suggested this in effect is “insidious cultural genocide”and allows the breaking of human rights.

Allowing space to reflect on this confronting introduction Dougie Mansell sang a beautiful song with guitar. 

Jimmy spoke a great deal about his understanding of philosophy as ‘thinking about thinking’ and the importance of original philosophy as it relates to indigenous culture, as being inclusive and about dialogue, ceremony and understanding each other’s differences. He spoke in favour of community development and using the cultural arts for change. He reflected on the importance of knowing ourselves, ruminating that questions around identity are often asked to the aboriginal community, provocatively he flipped the question: “If Aborigines were to ask you white people to explain your identity what would your reply be? “