Wildfire Indigenous Wisdom

Aboriginal people passed on stories orally as they knew no writing.

Listening to the story teller was vital to reproduce the story accurately to the next generation of story-tellers.

Deep listening describes the processes of deep and respectful listening to build community—a way of encouraging people to explore and learn from the ancient heritage of Aboriginal culture, knowledge and understanding.

Deep listening is also called Dadirri in southern Queensland.

The Aboriginal writer 

 Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann 

describes Dadirri as follows:

“Dadirri is inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness. 

Dadirri recognises the deep spring that is inside us. 

We call on it and it calls to us. 

This is the gift that Australia is thirsting for. 

It is something like what you call ‘contemplation’. 

When I experience dadirri, I am made whole again. 

I can sit on the riverbank or walk through the trees; even if someone close to me has passed away, I can find my peace in this silent awareness. 

There is no need of words. 

A big part of dadirri is listening.”

water and fire

listening grows

spirit inspires

flames and flow

“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. 

The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. 

To someone who doesn't understand growth, 

it would look like complete destruction.”

Cynthia Occelli

The Djelk Rangers are an incredible organisation that fuse together 

ancient knowledge, songline, spirituality and land management technique 

with science and technology to create a world-leading land management 

program in the Djelk Indigenous protected area.