January 26 reflection

Gulpa gaka anganya. Welcome, friends.

If you’re joining me for the first time, my name is Natarsha Napanagka Bamblett; I am a proud Walpiri, Yorta Yorta, Wiradjuri and Kurnai woman.

Welcome to my first blog post, something I’ve been working on as part of my passion to make an impact through connection to self, culture and Country. This blog series will reflect my living and learning journey, through life and business – through it, I invite you to look back on yourself, to really see who’s looking back at you in the mirror. I hope it encourages you to move more confidently through your own journey.

Each blog I set the intention to share what is in my world, in my heart, that it may strike a chord with you.

Where do I begin…

Where do I begin when part of me began over 65,000 years ago? Where do I begin when pain was inflicted before the settlers even landed on this Country? Not in the First Nations people – but in the settler’s hearts, spirits and bodies. How can I find the words to describe something I do not understand, that what lay in the hearts and minds of their actions inflicted such inhumane pain.

Reflecting on January 26th each year calls for silence. In the silence is where you hear the most; it’s where your heart speaks the loudest. Our tears on this painful day cleanse the soul. Like when we attend a funeral, we’re there to honour, acknowledge, remember the life that was. Yet in that we celebrate the journey that has been lived, what has come from those who have been here before. The survival of the culture, the language, the lore, the ceremony, the connection, the kinship… the love.

There are no words that could sum up the depth of what Invasion Day holds. So I listen.

I listen more than I speak. When we listen, we hear our heartbeat – and it will guide us, show us the way. Remind us of who we are and where we come from. What I do know is that I’m here to stand in the power of the fear. To trust in the unknown. It’s in the silence, in the deep listening, where we can hear clearly, see clearly. Our thoughts quieten, and our body can feel what it’s here to feel.

As January 26th dawns each year, I can see and feel the intensity and the energy of the emotions rising when it comes to black and white. We see fragility play out; pain, fear. But by standing in my power, I want my stance and my presence to speak louder than any words that I say. Honouring who I am is acknowledging where I come from, and I am so proud to be me in this life, this body, this time. Hurtful things will be said, which only come from a place of fear and misunderstanding. It’s not about ignorant words not hurting me; it’s about them not taking anything away from me. Because I stand in solidarity, sovereignty, strength, courage, power. I stand in the present, walking in the footsteps of the ancestors, taking a step into the future – paving the way for the generations to come, knowing that I choose this.

It isn’t helpful to highlight the difference between black and white people in this country, between First Nations and non-indigenous mobs; we are all just humans with different perspectives in how we see ourselves and the world. There is diversity in all peoples, no matter colour, age, culture, background, religion – the difference in perspectives is the diversity that walks this Earth at this time. Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers – the love is what brings us together and keeps us strong, connected, supported, and proud.

In my work so far as Queen Acknowledgements, I might be speaking to 200 people in a room, and most of them have come to my event because they are ready to connect. But maybe two people out of 200 are resistant to connect because they don’t value it in themselves. I never take it personally! Those two people are the most important hearts and minds to speak to, because their ignorance, their silence, their lack of understanding is the thing that is damaging this country. My work is about taking people on a journey to find their truth – and where does that truth lay? Within them. I’m not just standing and lecturing with stories of history (which is important); but the piece that allows people to obtain the information is the connection they’ve just felt within themselves. If those two people feel something shift in them, they might take that new perspective to their kids, their grandkids. They might have Aboriginal neighbours, they might just smile the next time they see the kids. These connections open up other connections. I believe the work I do, the direction my business is evolving, is to be that bridge, to facilitate those connections.

I’m stepping into my brand, as a representation of how I operate; bringing culture into business, living and breathing the values I share. Finding a sense of sincerity and connection with other people and what their unique self brings to business. I believe that’s the way culture is supposed to take place. It’s the lore of life: the season will come. You’ll know when you’re ready to expand.

Now having said I won’t lecture you with history… indulge me for a moment! For First Nations people, there is no separation between people and Country – what lies between, is culture. The Western mindset wants to plan, schedule, control. When settlers came to this land, they herded our people onto missions and didn’t allow us to farm, or harvest the crops we’d worked for thousands of years. So the ashy lands that lay beneath the feet of the settlers were hardened within less than a decade – reading the land, the earth beneath your feet, became disconnected. It’s like someone pouring water on a book, on a sacred scripture; you know the words are there, but you can’t see it in the way you used to. They put our people in homes, put shoes on our feet, so we were further desensitised from our culture, our connection to the Country itself – the way we’ve survived for tens of thousands of years. This disconnection affects mental, physical and spiritual health, our purpose of being here.

Yes, it’s been a long, painful 230 years, but compare that to over 65,000 years of survival – most of which was thriving. When we come together, we can bridge the divide that was born of fear, pain and ignorance. Now is the time to stand together, to listen, to nurture – to reconnect. Connecting to culture is connecting to presence – how do I be present and move forward, in harmony and in sync. Not fighting it; ease and flow. Culture is the guide, the blueprint on how to move through life.

Every day, but especially around Invasion Day, I want to encourage First Nations mob to be proud of who you are, the rich culture of where you’ve come from. Stand in your power and bring culture into all parts of your life – yes, even places that seem westernised, like business. They might be the most important places to highlight the value First Nations culture can bring to the table. Non-indigenous friends: take pride in the people and culture of the land you call home – you get to celebrate indigenous culture as your history, and interweave your own cultures in the tapestry of what it means to be Australian today.

I embrace the mourning, the sadness, the survival; I also celebrate the spirit and joy of what exists today, and the life that continues to be awakened. Our mother tongue; our babies coming home; our elders healing their spirits in forgiveness and compassion for themselves; the brothers and sisters that stand in the diversity of who they are, with us, together. We’re all individually experiencing this life together. 

No one can walk in the shoes of others – but we can all walk together.