46-3 Indigenous Stewardship: Fulfilling Our Responsibilities to Land and Community

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have ancestral and cultural ties that span from the sandy wetlands of Whadjuk country to the granite outcrops that are home to the Mungart trees of Ballardong country in Australia. My borrunga (totem) is the Googoomat (Boobook Owl). That means I must know him better than anyone else to ensure he has what he needs to survive; I protect him as he protects me. Reciprocity is at the core of all Indigenous worldviews. We have profound and intimate relationships cultivated by embodying values of patience and respect.