Water Bodies Nourishment

Boon Wurrung Country is deeply connected to water (baany), wetlands, the bay (Nairm), the sea and the ocean (Warreeny). For this workshop at The Tree School, Boon Wurrung Elder N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs AM introduced some of the words that connect our bodies to the bodies of water that have been undergrounded by colonisation. The Elsternwick Park Wetland, which is being replanted with traditional and indigenous plants and will become a knowledge and research centre for connecting to Boon Wurrung knowledge systems in urban Melbourne, will also be discussed and a small tasting of indigenous food shared to help us think about our bodily relationship to place and planting.

With N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs AM and Curatorial Researcher Madeleine Collie.

This event was part of The Tree School, (MADA Gallery 11-23 March 2021) whose curricula has evolved from a locally significant scar tree presented as its educational centre piece. Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, teachers, researchers, knowledge holders and students will draw upon oral storytelling and the passing of knowledge between generations to discuss the practical things we can do as individuals and together to support sustainability and contribute to cross-community wellbeing.

Conceived by architects Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti and coordinated by Yorta Yorta and Woiwurrung artist, organiser and educator Moorina Bonini, The Tree School curriculum in Melbourne had been developed in dialogue with N’arweet Carolyn Briggs AM and Brian Martin of the Wominjeka Djeembana Indigenous Research Lab at Monash University, and colleagues from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash Science, Monash Education and Monash Art Design & Architecture including Mark Romei.