Stepping off the plane onto Yawuru Country, and seeing the beautiful rusty red dirt, smelling the salty ocean waves, feeling the breeze blow with intense, powerful heat, and listening deeply to the spirits and Ancestors that still walk this place was absolutely magical for us.
As guests on Yawuru Country, we walked every step thinking of those that have come before us, acknowledging and paying our deepest respects to Yawuru Elders; those that have passed over to the Dreamtime, and those that continue to guide us all now.
Aunty Diane Appleby – a well-respected Yawuru Elder and Matriarch – provided us with a heartfelt, unique, and loving Welcome to Country to help us kick off the program on day 1. We felt an immense sense of belonging and safety after hearing and feeling Aunty Di’s beautiful words, and after cleansing ourselves in the sacred Smoke.
It had rained and stormed the night before and the morning of, but Aunty Di was still able to find some dry Eucalyptus leaves to cleanse and Welcome us all; the same Eucalyptus that we use back home on Gadigal Country. She graciously invited us all to walk through and bathe in the healing smoke, and we all felt any stress, fear, or worry leave our bodies.
We were left feeling a deep sense of calm and belonging, and a knowing that we were exactly where we were meant to be.
Aunty Di shared with us that as First Nations women, we are always caring, supporting, and providing for everyone around us; our babies, our sisters and brothers, our Aunties and Uncles, our families, and Communities. But who cares for us? We keep pushing until we are absolutely exhausted, burnt out, drained, and unwell, and then we push some more.
Self-care, sisterhoods of support, and rest are so important, especially for our women who carry so much. This was the perfect introduction to our program, and the purpose for all of us to come together and connect.
Our beautiful Changemakers were all so mindfully present, engaged, open and vulnerable, and they made the whole program an absolutely incredible experience for all involved. There was so much love and support throughout these sessions, with no judgement, and an immense amount of empathy and kindness shown to all from every single Changemaker.
From the first introductory yarning circle, our deadly women were opening up and sharing experiences they hadn’t shared before, as we were all able to cultivate a safe space to let any emotions, feelings or trauma off their chests. This program only works if our Changemakers lean in, let their walls down, and speak vulnerably, and all of our women did this and more, resulting in the program being a huge success!
Day 1 finished up with sessions on Connection and Charting your Direction, with lots of yarns, tears, hugs, and laughter. We spoke about Matriarchs and inspiring women in our lives, we reflected on our life’s journey and who we really are, we yarned about challenges we face, and we focused on the importance of radical self-care for us as community activists.
Later that night, after some rest, recharge, and reflection time, we gathered for dinner under the stars, staring out at the stunning ocean, listening to the waves crash. We shared stories, yummy food, and lots of laughs. We all had an early night after a very emotional and powerful day and drifted off into a peaceful sleep reflecting on the journey so far.
Stay posted for more blog posts about our incredible Yanalangami Journey on Yawuru Country!
With love and respect,
The Yanalangami Team
