Two peas in a pod: Wellbeing and Caring for Country

'It takes two to make a thing go right' - I bet you sang that! But really, it takes two things, wellbeing and caring for Country. Wellbeing and Caring for Country are two Aboriginal environmental literacies that go absolutely hand in hand.

To tell you the truth, I could write on forever about the beautiful connection between these two notions. When researching on ICTV, I discovered a video of Tracey Heimberger a Balagrong woman living in Pilbara is known as the bird woman. She expressed how after the death of her husband, she took up nature photography to feel grounded and focused on the land and shared the healing elements of Country for emotional wellbeing. Over time she began to heal emotionally, physically and spiritually with the support of her community through partaking in yarning circles, cultural customs and becoming one with her culture and Country.

The wellness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples centrally relies on their deep connection to their ancestral landscapes. It is crucial to their innate existence and any separation from Country "compromises cultural connections" in turn causing extreme suffering and vulnerability as we have seen due to the Stolen Generation. Just as stress and social decrease is known to alter the health of people, disconnection from Country is additional heartache and despair to existing challenges. There is thorough research and proof appreciating Aboriginal strategies when caring for Country and the ability of Country to address health matters and heal all parts of an individual. Now it is clearly evident that wellbeing and Country are entwined.

Kingsley et al. (2013) shed light on the links between connection to Country and their existence, supported by an Indigenous Person saying:

“you can put your trust in the land because it is your ancestors; you know it’s going to guide you in the right direction and protect you…”

John Clarke, a Victorian Aboriginal park ranger, conveyed that no matter if you are Aboriginal or not, all Australians have a role to play in the management and caring for Country and to feel this deep spiritual connection to the land we call home. In my heart, I agree with John and also feel that it is our duty as Australians to support our First Nation People to rebuild and heal, not only by umbrella strategies that work in suburbia but by learning their culture, their experience and their country. We must allow and create opportunities for the protective factors and natural lifestyle to uplift and ignite the fire of culture and positive wellbeing for all. We musn't 'take over' or control the healing process despite expertise, but allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People to accept advice as they wish and adapt it to fulfill their cultural and spiritual practices.

Also, evidence has proven the psychological benefits of agriculture, gardening and being outdoors in nature; signifying the ability of these activities to actually protect, sustain and enhance overall wellbeing. So this proves the 'scientific' background to the intrinsic connection to Country and its infinite capability to nurture, heal and nourish its people.

#classroom #participation