Heal Country- embrace 'farming'

Upon this land, Worimi land, my ancestors were able to sustain life, grow food, mould this landscape, and work with nature to support our people and trade with adjoining neighbours. Each aspect of land was significant, with nature calling our people to the sea when the fishing was great, and the high country needed rest and pushing them back again when needed. It's where culture was taught, embodied into story and the landscape for the future.

When colonisers arrived in Sydney, political thought and foreign livestock proceeded the new settlers as they looked to expand. Cattle and sheep forged new pathways across Aboriginal land, followed by a new interpretation and aspiration of what early pastoralists saw. Their identity, now farmers, had to be redeveloped as they sought to reconstruct their knowledge of what was seen overseas.?

As they sought land, they noted the soil structures and clearings, often guided by 'native' guides. They stressed how friendly some Aboriginal tribes were, how reliant upon them they were and some journaled to protect them. These relationships and the pivotal nature of such were so reliant that one letter talked about protecting Indigenous people before informing investors about their stock on this new foreign land.?

Aboriginal people also adapted to the new developed agricultural reconstruction during the early years, selling fish and produce in the cities, working on farms and embracing components of the new economy. The relationships were by no means perfect, with inequality and racism still found in our present agricultural system. But it did provide hope- hope to stay on country, hope to connect with the land and work with her under these new conditions.

The agricultural system, our food system, has never honestly braced our mob. Even within the last 50 years our gun shearers were refused their title through racism, fear-mongering by farmers over native title legislation still casts fear into the agri-political sphere, and Indigenous farmers are forced to tread a delicate balance between Indigenous views and that of mainstream, conventional agriculture. Indigenous people are unable to access safe, affordable and nutritious food in remote communities, often with excessive efforts conducted by 'junk food' companies to ensure a strong presence in communities.?

This year's theme for NAIDOC Week is Heal Country, whereby society is asked to consider actions to protect our heritage and culture, understand our stories and work with mob to restore and heal country which is sick. Our food and agricultural sectors play an essential role in this journey- as farmers and Indigenous people connect to the land and history.?

"If we want to talk about uprooting racism and ceding sovereignty in the food system, we have to look at how we got the food system today."- Leah Penniman

Through working together, we can develop a truly 'Australian' food and farming system, taking deep Indigenous wisdom and knowledge, and combining this with Western technology and experience. We need leadership to define our future and ensure we appropriately feed our population, not set financial or land-based aspirations without people, particularly Indigenous people.?

We need access to capital to unlock our self-determined potential and empower youth to want to farm. We need representation in farming groups and political bodies, providing our people with a seat at the table to tell our truths and experiences. We want to be valued in a sector that has denied our existence, where we have fought for equality and for racism to stop.

There is much for us to learn from overseas, a lot for us to connect upon here and a joint passion for ensuring future generations can continue farming landscapes today. When considering how to Heal Country, we need to marvel at the beauty of both food systems that exist on country and work together rather than argue over indifferences.?

We're waiting Australian agriculture- let's have a yarn.