Acknowledgement of Country
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation as the Traditional Owners of the lands where I live and work in Naarm. I pay respect to the past, present and future Traditional Owners and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
I believe that the acknowledgement of the traditional owners is at it’s most basic a mark of respect. Beyond the basic it plays an important role in keeping alive the history and culture of First Nations people. At the time of writing this there is no treaty between the Australian government and the First Nations people of this land, sovereignty is unceded.
Like many people who were born and raised in Australia there is a lot that I don’t know, I am continuously learning, and open to change. I’m not an expert, but I do hope that sharing what I learn that it will contribute to increasing awareness.
Home and work: I live and work on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation in Naarm.
Born and raised: I was born and raised in Noongar country. In my youth knew it as Noongar country and now now it to be Whadjuk Noongar land.
Heritage: I am a Tjupan Pinhi woman. My mob are Wongi descended of First Nations people of the North Eastern Goldfields, of Lake Darlot and Darlot Station. Stolen and sent to Moore River Settlement and separated at Sister Kates.
As I learn and I will continue to update this page to improve it’s accuracy.
Resources
I encourage you to learn about the traditional owners of the lands where you live, work, and where you grew up. Here are some great places to start.
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (aiatsis.gov.au)
Featured art work is based on work created by Danielle Ashwin for Rebecca Jackson and Subspace Consulting. © Ashwin Aboriginal Art