The Native American Way...

Growing up on a relatively isolated cattle farm in Queensland gave me the special opportunity to live my most formative years simply.

We got our food by farming, hunting and fishing. We learnt to feel grateful for the trees that provided fruit and shade, to be grateful for the sounds of the storm birds announcing the rain was on its way, for the stars that shone so brightly we could find our way through the paddocks at night, just by their light.

The silence, the beauty, the breadth of the sky... you couldn’t help but believe that there must be a spirit, a creator. Something, someone watching down guiding us as to how to survive, how to work with the land.

It wasn’t until later in life did I begin to understand that the Native American Indian way of life and the life that I had led growing up were very similar. The simple nature of both lifestyles and the awareness that the land was allowing us to survive, was very moving.

That was the beginning of deep connection for me to a culture which has faced unimaginable challenges.  This Indigenous culture, this anchor to a more meaningful way to live, has continued to connect with me, to inspire me and sometimes to surprise me.

Teena