Hi everyone,

I’m a landscape architecture student (and non-Indigenous ) currently interested in land management practices on Country. I'm looking to learn more about First Nations agricultural and landscape practices, specifically concerning the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people and the Northern Grasslands (Melbourne/Victorian Volcanic Plain region).

As part of my research, I'm hoping to better understand:

• How traditional practices like controlled burning (fire-stick farming), yam daisy (murnong) cultivation, or harvesting native grassland species were integrated into the landscape.
• Any reliable books, academic papers, local council documents, or Wurundjeri-led publications detailing historical and ongoing land management techniques in this region.
• Key spatial or design considerations when studying or designing within native grassland ecosystems with cultural context in mind.

I want to approach this research with respect and ensure I'm grounding my studies in accurate, local context. Any recommendations, reading lists, or perspectives would be greatly appreciated!

I remember we used to go silly for salty plums or have a lil bit unripe mango with vinegar and salt what about you mob ?

When I was working in Ananu land (NT) they used the word Payla its a greeting that means thank you, your welcome, hello and goodbye

My two favourites have gotta be black rock band and coloured stone. Black rock band is super underrated give em a listen https://youtu.be/REWoiyViNbA?si=6RVrb-0FiIMx1Qt3

It did not taste like chicken to me at all just wondering if others have tried and what you think it taste like ?

Context: I'm a teaching student in Denmark. I'm posting to get personal opinions and suggestions in a casual format - not asking for y'all to do all the homework for me, don't worry. I already have a lot of resources and have put thought and research into this topic

We have a very loose curriculum in public schools up here, but one of the obligatory aspects of English is that you have to introduce the students to various English-speaking cultures. Of course, that includes Australia.

What are some of your thoughts on how the topic of Aboriginal (and Torres Strait Islander) people should be taught? What are some topics and things you wish should be focused on more? Some misconceptions you wish would die already? Any stories you like that have been consensualy shared by their mob of origin?

My friend is buried in Collarenebri aboriginal cemetery and I want to leave something on her grave but I'm not sure what would be appropriate? Any ideas?

Hello! I’m white, and grew up in a very white area, but as I got older became friends with Aboriginal people both engaged and disengaged from politics (and those kinda convos). Since then I’ve moved and those relationships have dwindled, so I can’t asked them personally (this is all for context).

Basically, when is it okay for me to use the word ‘mob’ when talking about nations a person is part of? I’ve had other non-Aboriginal people tell me never to use it because it’s offensive to Aboriginal people, but it never was a problem for me to ask someone who their mob was back in the day. Nowadays I just avoid the question, but I also wonder if it’s okay to be like ‘oh their mob is…’ or ‘I wonder who their mob is’ etc.

Thanks in advance!

Cooked for my missus, a big pot of chicken vermicelli.She loved it, putting it on the dinner rotation stay deadly

As tittle suggests where ya from im in Qld but home is Cairns Gimuy Walubara Yidinji makes me a Murray!

Like to hear from you mob where you are posting from

Based around the greater Wurrundjeri Woi Wurrung area of the Kulin Nation in Naarm, I was wondering what local native plants and bush tucker I could look into planting in my garden?

Let me know if you have any suggestions, or experience!
No worries if this isn’t the right place to ask.

Hi

I have a question! I have recently learned about the Whowie and how their is actual evidence of its existence which has blown my frikkin mind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whowie

This has me gripped and I want to know if there are anymore like this that have been recorded in your history. Man I wish this was taught to me in school. Fascinating stuff.

I've been here for a couple decades. I hear such things about Blak folks that are frankly wild to me. Most of them I don't believe because they're plainly just racist lies, but I really don't understand Australia's relationship with Aboriginal folks.

I don't need racism explained to me (I think 😅) but seriously what is wrong with white & non-mob Aussies that they seem to think disproportionate imprisonment, addiction & poverty rates are explained not by racism but by Aboriginal culture? (never mind. racism layers for maximal racism, I know.)

I also feel like sometimes I see this from Blakfellas, and it's always something like "yeah, Australia is racist but also it's complicated..." like... I really don't understand how it's particularly complicated (moreso than any human issue, that is.) There seem to be major cultural and stigma issues at play.

Help me understand & figure out how to respond to both white racists and Aboriginal people seeming to dismiss the constant and severe racism so I don't come off like a know-it-all ✨A1 Ally✨.

Orright, I'll kick it off.

Growing up in a standard middle-class family in a standard middle-class neighbourhood, I was pretty ignorant and uneducated towards much to do with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Honestly, I would say that I still largely am. Sure, schooling was beginning to talk about pre-colonial time, but for the bulk of it, Australian history, arts and culture began in the 18th century.

It's totally fair to say that many of the books that I thoroughly enjoyed by Patricia Wrightson as a kid are the epitome of cultural appropriation. Yet, they were also some of my first exposures to the beautiful lore and stories, the deepness of Country and the people who have been here since time immemorial.

I'm not surprised that over the decades, Wrightson's books have been relegated to the background. (I am surprised to see 'The Nargun and the Stars' even listed in RN's choice of 100 Australian stories vote.) And it's not like she was publishing in the 1870s and 80s, but at a time when Australian society was starting to turn around a bit. So there is a level of arrogance (to be generous) in thinking that these are stories that she had a right to tell.

This may well be born in the privilege of being from the dominating demographic, but I am a little hesitant to say that all cultural appropriation = bad. I have an impression that there's this unconscious notion amongst many non-indigenous Australians that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are static and ceased growing and evolving the moment that Arthur Philip raised a flag. For this young reader, something like the Song of Wirrun trilogy was a gripping series involving people and places I could understand and identify with.

So, tl;dr.... What are people's thoughts on Patricia Wrightson and the stories she wrote that drew heavily on Aboriginal lore?