Keepers of the flame: songspirals are a university for us

Bawaka Country; Laklak Burarrwanga; Ritjilili Ganambarr; Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs; Banbapuy Ganambarr; Djawundil Maymuru; Kate Lloyd; Lara Daley; Sandie Suchet-Pearson; Sarah Wright

doi:10.1017/aee.2023.27

Keepers of the flame: songspirals are a university for us

Bawaka Country, Laklak Burarrwanga, Ritjilili Ganambarr, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Banbapuy Ganambarr, Djawundil Maymuru, Kate Lloyd, Lara Daley, Sandie Suchet-Pearson^*, Sarah Wright

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

76 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Songspirals are a university for us, they are a map of understandings (Gay'wu Group of Women, 2019, p. 33).

This paper is authored by Bawaka Country, acknowledging Country’s ability to teach and share. Country is homeland and place. Country is everything and the relationships that bring everything to life. Country is knowledge. This paper is shaped and enabled by songspirals. Songspirals are sung and cried by Yolŋu people in north east Arnhem Land, Australia, to awaken Country, to make and remake the life-giving connections between people and place.

The Goŋ-gurtha songspiral leads this paper, showing us how a Yolŋu Country-led pedagogy centres Country’s active agency by learning through, with, and as Country. This pedagogy shares with us the ongoing connections within and between generations to ensure that knowledge remains strong and that sharing is done the right way, according to Yolŋu Rom, Law/Lore. This learning is predicated on relationality and responsibility. It is a more-than-human learning in which human knowing is decentred and Country is knowledgeable. It is a learning which recognises and respects its limits and it is a learning in which the ongoing sovereignty of Yolŋu people is front and centre.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	279-292
Number of pages	14
Journal	Australian Journal of Environmental Education
Volume	39
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2023.27
Publication status	Published - Sept 2023

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2023. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

Environmental philosophy
Epistemology
Ethics
Geography
Indigenous knowledge
Intergenerational
Ontology

Access to Document

10.1017/aee.2023.27

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 272 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Keepers of the flame: songspirals are a university for us",

abstract = "Songspirals are a university for us, they are a map of understandings (Gay'wu Group of Women, 2019, p. 33).This paper is authored by Bawaka Country, acknowledging Country{\textquoteright}s ability to teach and share. Country is homeland and place. Country is everything and the relationships that bring everything to life. Country is knowledge. This paper is shaped and enabled by songspirals. Songspirals are sung and cried by Yol{\ng}u people in north east Arnhem Land, Australia, to awaken Country, to make and remake the life-giving connections between people and place.The Go{\ng}-gurtha songspiral leads this paper, showing us how a Yol{\ng}u Country-led pedagogy centres Country{\textquoteright}s active agency by learning through, with, and as Country. This pedagogy shares with us the ongoing connections within and between generations to ensure that knowledge remains strong and that sharing is done the right way, according to Yol{\ng}u Rom, Law/Lore. This learning is predicated on relationality and responsibility. It is a more-than-human learning in which human knowing is decentred and Country is knowledgeable. It is a learning which recognises and respects its limits and it is a learning in which the ongoing sovereignty of Yol{\ng}u people is front and centre.",

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AU - Ganambarr, Banbapuy

AU - Maymuru, Djawundil

AU - Lloyd, Kate

AU - Daley, Lara

AU - Suchet-Pearson, Sandie

AU - Wright, Sarah

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2023. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

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ER -

Keepers of the flame: songspirals are a university for us

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

FT210100320: Nurturing regenerative sovereignties through Indigenous and Country-led collaborations

Yolngu women keening songspirals: nourishing and sharing people-as-place

Cite this

Keepers of the flame: songspirals are a university for us

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

FT210100320: Nurturing regenerative sovereignties through Indigenous and Country-led collaborations

Yolngu women keening songspirals: nourishing and sharing people-as-place

Cite this