Country
Quotes
“ 'Country' has many layers of meaning. It incorporates people, animals, plants, water and land. But Country is more than just people and things, it is also what connects them to each other and to multiple spiritual and symbolic realms. It relates to laws, custom, movement, song, knowledges, relationships, histories, presents, futures and spirits.
Country can be talked to, it can be known, in can itself communicate, feel and take action. Country for us is alive with story, Law power and kinship relations that join not only people to each other but link people, ancestors, place, animals, rocks, plants, stories and songs within land and sea...
In the same way that Country cares for us, we must care for Country. The well-being of all beings, of wind, water, sky and land is related." (Burarrwanga, 2013, p. 128).
“The sounds of the land gives us words, the word gives us songs, the songs give us ceremonies, the ceremonies give us teaching, the teaching give us our beliefs, and the beliefs gives us our identity. The most important thing to understand is how to how to learn to listen to this country. All of this is embedded in our country, our Law—even in the ants, the elements, and the seasons.” (Patrick, 2015)
“This relationship between mother and child is very important to Yolŋu. It exists between people, and between people and the land.” (Burarrwanga, 2013, p. 3).
“The land tells us when there is a new season, not the calendar.” (Burarrwanga, 2013, p. 1).
"Aborigines have a special connection to everything that is natural. Aborigines see themselves as part of nature. We see all things in nature as part of us. All things on earth we see as part human. This is told through The Dreaming. By Dreaming we mean the belief long ago, that these creatures started human society; they made all natural things and put them in a special place. These Dreaming creatures were connected to special places and special roads or tracks or paths. In many cases the great creatures changed themselves into sites where their spirits stayed...
It is true that people who belong to a particular area are really part of that area and if that area is destroyed they are also destroyed. In my travels throughout Australia I have met many Aborigines from other parts who have lost their culture. They have always lost their land and by losing their land they have lost part of themselves." (Roberts, 1976).