WE ARE ONE IN THE CIRCLE

My understanding of a yarning circle is based upon the following: the practice of sitting in a circle as the ground for non-hierarchal communications has been part of Indigenous cultural practices for millennia. In this form, there is no beginning and no end. 

All participants are held within the safety of the circle and this aids in the flow of speaking and listening. The harmony of the practice is encouraged by cultural protocols to avoid disruption and keep the peace.

In Australia, the term yarning circle represents the English collocation of an Aboriginal cultural practice, demonstrating the common occurrence of a colonial world view overwriting Indigenous ways of being. I am sure the vast numbers of language groups throughout Aboriginal nations have their own names for such a practice, but like many things in colonised Australia, the world view is presented with an Imperial bias. 

The yarning circle has become a well-represented tool for safe communications in community, educational, and well-being gatherings. The acceptance of the yarning circle as a positive and helpful means of communicating is also a great example of how Aboriginal Peoples practices of Country find their way into mainstream Australian political and social structures.

Within the context of iWitnessing, a yarning circle is offered to allow for conversations to focus on what’s behind liberalism’s structures and the ensuing Western paradigm. If we peel back the layers we are more likely to discover what is at its core. 

Just like an onion, liberalism has many layers and within these layers are the foundations of our Imperial or Western constructs. When we begin to look at what is behind these layers, start to understand the philosophical underpinnings of a Western world view, we can begin to deepen our knowledge of why things operate the way they do, and how this led to Western thinking becoming culturally differentiated.

There is much contemporary discourse around decolonising our minds and our cultures with a broad range of views and lived experiences. My point of view is that in order to decolonise our conditioning and cultural bias, we first need to understand where colonisation fits into the bigger picture. I believe this is important otherwise a cultural bias may continue to be present in the way we look at decolonising, interpreting the situation and outcome through the lens of the coloniser. 

My understanding is that colonisation is a tool, a road map that enables the philosophical underpinnings of liberalism to take root and spread throughout political and social frameworks. Although given a lot of weight in its undeniable genocide of Indigenous lands and peoples, it is just one of the layers of the onion. If we want to peel it back to its core, it's going to take some time in the circle. Sharing, listening and healing from our hearts. 

I believe it falls to non-Indigenous peoples to take initiative in understanding these structures and how to move towards the decolonisation of our shared communities. We can not expect Aboriginal Peoples to sort out these problems. These are centuries-old Imperial philosophies and structures that have been imposed upon Aboriginal Peoples and their nations. Aboriginal Peoples retain their own authority. Aboriginal Peoples never ceded their sovereignty or lands to the invaders. 

The yarning circle is a generous gift of communication from Aboriginal Peoples as a tool for listening and healing, one yarn at a time. 

Bubaloo Fahy has an Arts Degree in Indigenous Knowledges and Cultural Studies (2020, Southern Cross University).

The iWitness yarning circles are offered as a positive and holistic form of communication. Requests for holding circles to discuss liberalism and its impacts within the cultural differentiation of Australia are welcomed from community groups and educational institutions. You are welcome to connect with Bubaloo Fahy through the contacts page.

I would like to acknowledge the Bundjalung Elders and my lecturers at Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples, Southern Cross University Lismore, who gave so generously of their time and energy to my education. 

I would especially like to highlight the outstanding teachings of Professor Norm Sheehan, Janine Dunlevy and Lyndon Murphy.