Reflective learnings from Bardi Jawi Country

This journal documents my newly gained observations and learnings of the profound impacts of colonisation as personally witnessed over three days on Bardi Jawi Country in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region. As I reflect, these learnings have challenged my foundational understanding of the colonial country I live in, and my place within it. In drawing inspiration from my learnings, my aim was not to appropriate First Nations thought or culture but to document my learning journey towards gaining a deeper understanding of Australia’s shared history.?

In this summary, I weave ideas and approaches gained from a first-person perspective with theory from pre-readings. Through the metaphor of ‘weaving two worlds’, this reflection highlights ways we can work cooperatively and consensually to establish a harmonious and thriving nationhood. It contemplates the dualities faced by First Nations peoples who were rendered place-less in white Australia, not only due to the dispossession of lands but also the imposition of techniques and cultures foreign to this land.

Through the synthesis of observations, I have thematised key learnings through a framework relevant to my specialisation in placemaking: Country, Culture and Community.

Unravelling Country?

The first theme that stood out to me was the ongoing fight for land rights. Looking at Australia’s most-livable cities of today means looking at how we have benefitted from the dispossession of First Nations peoples. The abysmal adaptation to local conditions enforced through the active and ongoing process of colonisation remains alien and unfitting. This extends to the rudimentary seasonal calendar, colonised place names, unsustainable farming practices and ignorant understanding of ways to balance health, education and justice.

One profound insight is the ways that Country tells and gives us everything. Eating with the seasons keeps Country sustainable, leaving other areas to recover (Pascoe, 2018). “See what we see when you look at the bush”, shared Brian Lee (personal communication, June 21, 2023). Using locally sourced materials, such as crushed and burnt shells that created bricks and mortar for Beagle Bay’s church blocks, is a sustainable practice that creates a fitting sense of place.?

Another key observation was the need to examine freehold leases and council rates on native title lands, as observed at Kooljaman with Brian Lee (personal communication, June 21, 2023), as a way to empower communities to assert their rights (D. Pike, personal communication, June 22, 2023). Everything that has been perfected in this land over 60,000 years carries invaluable wisdom, and we can work towards decolonising Country and fostering spaces that embrace diversity, respecting Indigenous knowledge, and honouring the heritage of the land if we do.

Unravelling Culture?

The second theme that stood out to me was reclaiming and rejuvenating cultural practices. Curating and creating new ways for deeper connection in Australia requires us to examine the thousands of legislative acts of colonisation that have systematically erased and subdued the expression of First Nations cultures since colonisation. Because of their erasure, a rigorous process of investigation, rejuvenation and appreciation is required to reinstate Indigenous ideologies and cultural practices so we can gain a greater understanding of the land and waters we live on, and form greater bonds with Country.?

Whilst avoiding the ‘objectification of culture’ (D. Pike, personal communication, 22 June, 2023), we can show respect for the highly complex Indigenous cultural practices that define and distinguish Australia’s regions. Towards this, we must recognise that laws and customs differ among each Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nation, and that one cannot speak for another Country (D. Davey-Hunter, T. Hunter, personal communication, 21 June, 2023). The Bardi Jawi people, for example, share similar laws and customs but also exhibit unique differences within the spectrum of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and practices (T. Hunter, personal communication, 21 June, 2023).?

Key examples of cultural expression for the Bardi Jawi peoples emphasise the wearing, carving and trading of pearl shells, the absence of returning boomerangs and the preference for rafts over canoes (T. Hunter, personal communication, 23 June, 2023). This showcases the diverse nature of First Nations practices beyond the commonly associated didgeridoo and rock art that challenges stereotypical representations. Additionally, the ‘inculturation’ (T. Gourlay, personal communication, 21 June, 2023) of the Catholic Church at Beagle Bay using pearl shell and native flora and fauna iconography mixed with Christian symbology further demonstrates ways in which First Nations peoples can ‘walk in two worlds’ (Uluru Statement from the Heart, 2018).?

Unravelling Community?

The third theme I observed was how Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people are coming together with respect and reciprocity today. Australia exists within a complex landscape shaped by unacknowledged privilege and racism. The benefits derived from this privilege often go unnoticed and have been fueled by a lack of historical understanding (Margaret, 2018). The detrimental impacts of the protection and assimilation eras, which involved separating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their cultural knowledge, must be acknowledged and rectified (M. Chi, personal communication, 21 June, 2023).?

Despite the atrocities of our shared history, examples of cross-cultural collaborations demonstrate the effective exchange of knowledge, scientific and cultural practices, such as the Bardi Jawi Rangers program. The Rangers program serves as ‘an assertion of native title rights’ (D. Pike, personal communication, 23 June, 2023), and incorporates Indigenous methodologies co-delivered within non-Indigenous frameworks.?

Another key example was the collaborative efforts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in the ‘Woodside vs. State vs. People’ campaign opposing oil drilling off the coast of Broome which exemplifies the power of collective action (M. Chi, personal communication, 21 June, 2023). Additionally, Terry Hunter shares that the benefits for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Broome’s historic pearling industry were good food and the beauty of diverse women (T. Hunter, personal communication, 23 June, 2023).?

Conclusion

Through this reflective journal, I have been able to critically examine the process of assimilation, which systematically stripped this land and its First Nations people of everything. I have observed the effects of reducing 60,000 years of cultural identity down to a monoculture that looks the same, lives like us, and believes like us. To foster meaningful progress, it is vital to adhere to the 5 R’s of Respect, Rights, Responsibility, Reciprocity and Relatedness (Atkinson, 2012), and value First Nations voices and perspectives that will enhance Australia’s culture.

Through initiatives like the Bardi Jawi Ranger program, the blending of cultures can create effective and appropriate programs that honour Indigenous traditions and values while operating within non-Indigenous frameworks. Recognising Aboriginal ways of knowing as sustainable systems is crucial. Through this experience, I have deepened my understanding of the profound consequences of colonisation and fostered a more inclusive and respectful future.

References

Atkinson, J. (2012). Occasional Address: Southern Cross University Graduation ceremony.

Pascoe, B. (2018). Dark Emu. Scribe Publications.

First Nations National Constitutional Convention. (2017). Uluru Statement from the Heart.?

Margaret, J. (2018). Ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi: change in the Pākehā nation State of the Pākehā Nation. Scoop Media.