"Indigenous and Western peoples engaging in two-way learning about natural and social disasters: Rebirthing our internal power"

Cyclones – burmulala - were natural part of life and us. They didn’t destroy but cleansed and refreshed everything; they gave new life and prevented future disasters. Cyclones wiped away old thinking and gave birth to fresh stories, new thinking and feeling that make us stronger. Why are cyclones now dangerous and destroy life? What are cyclones telling us? We need to get ready inside for the next disaster for our kids and future by bringing back our internal power. Indigenous and Western peoples need to walk together side-by-side and learn from each other. What makes us strong? What makes us weak? We need to understand the Western Law – the real story. Let’s work truly together two-ways with open hearts and minds and listen carefully. (Maypilama et al., 2020)

Worldwide, COVID, climate change, disasters, poverty, physical and mental disease, environmental degradation, violence and abuse are increasingly in combination threatening our very existence. Yet, this existential crisis also represents an opportunity to uncover the source of this crisis and to engage in the transformative journey required for creating a culture that restores harmony and health sustainably. Whilst we are all in the same boat, the situation is especially challenging for Indigenous peoples living in remote and very remote communities due to diverse historical and contemporary colonisation strategies. The colonising practices have and still are eroding the highly sophisticated nature-based metaphysical, holistic, unified and equalitarian Indigenous worldviews, knowledges and practices Indigenous peoples have been skilfully, diligently and systematically created collectively over at least 60,000 years of observing, experiencing, reflecting and learning. Living in accordance with the ancient Law ensured Indigenous peoples and the land lived harmoniously, which led to both having internal power and being healthy and strong. Ironically and poignantly, it is precisely these Indigenous worldviews, knowledges and practices that contain the keys to averting the existential crisis we created as increasingly more people in the Western culture realise. Parallel, Indigenous peoples in remote Indigenous communities are curious about and eager to learn about and understand Western Law and knowledges.

In this yarn, a team of Yolŋu researchers living in Galiwin’ku and Western researchers share how they are genuinely working together and learn from each other to draw out, revive and strengthening Yolŋu worldviews, knowledges and practices, and to identify and share Western knowledges that is useful for strengthening Yolŋu and Western peoples. They are also offering how what they are learning is wiping away old, dysfunctional thinking and giving birth to new stories that restore internal power.

Team:  Maypilama, E. L., Buergelt, P. T., Bukulatjpi, D. Y., Guŋdjarranbuy, R., Dhamarrandji, S., Gurruwiwi, G., Paton, D., Smith, J. & Ali, T.