Yumutjin Wunungmurra: "This tree is my mother!" Implicit in the land restoration film title of 'Rediscovering the country' is that the land was once well understood, respected and cared for, and that we need to find a way back to this state of being. A survey by the Christensen Fund, a major US philanthropic trust, found that 80% of the world's most biodiverse regions were owned and managed by Indigenous peoples. As animists, Indigenous people have deep knowledge about their landscape and a spiritual connection with all the plants, animals and places in it. We – like them – will have to develop a greater knowledge of and stronger connection to everything in our landscape if we are ever to become custodians – like they once were throughout Australia.
In north east Arnhem Land, the Yolngu people still live on their land, acting as custodians for their country. A senior Indigenous ranger Yumutjin Wunungmurra (pictured), said when I interviewed him a couple of weeks ago: “I learnt by listening and watching. My father never stopped singing to the country, calling up places and animals. I’m still singing his songs. The land and everything in it speaks to us. We know all their names and stories. When the wind blows a certain way, we know where the fish will be."
Searching for words to explain his connection to country, Yumutjin turned and struck the tree behind him with passion, exclaiming: "This tree is my mother!"
Now that's what I call connected to country!
In north east Arnhem Land, the Yolngu people still live on their land, acting as custodians for their country. A senior Indigenous ranger Yumutjin Wunungmurra (pictured), said when I interviewed him a couple of weeks ago: “I learnt by listening and watching. My father never stopped singing to the country, calling up places and animals. I’m still singing his songs. The land and everything in it speaks to us. We know all their names and stories. When the wind blows a certain way, we know where the fish will be."
Searching for words to explain his connection to country, Yumutjin turned and struck the tree behind him with passion, exclaiming: "This tree is my mother!"
Now that's what I call connected to country!
