Songlines - Land Action

Songlines in Australia are traditional oral documents linking the land with lore, law, story, science, etc. For example, there is a story on Cape York about a sawfish that is cut in half, with one half taken north, and the other south. This story links northern and southern language groups through songlines all the way up to the Torres Strait.

Songlines can be specific, and they can be sung and used as a map to follow pathways across and between language group territories. Often scientific, linguistic and land-use knowledge is woven into the songlines, along with correct protocols for the places where you are walking, as well and warnings of danger and landmarks, with their accompanying stories.

Anyway, as part of the planning process for the Sweet Spot Native Land Action project we are planning, Colin has talked me into taking a broader view than the local, creating a greater vision for the project.

The concept of songlines has given us a strong theme and direction for the planning.

So we've come up with the idea of linking our riparian project sites together along traditional songlines, making dreaming trails along these lines incorporating bush food plants and artworks. Gradually, these would link to other sites as well, and other projects through land councils and organisations.

Here're some of my thoughts on the vision.

Eventually, it will spread, web-like, across the land. It has the potential to be a very organic process, owned by all who participate, with no monocultural bureacracy to mess it up. Diversity in society and nature is what keeps things going and prevents stagnation - shouldn't the same principle be applied to management? I'm very firm on this - I don't want us to "own" or "boss" the project, but to serve it. Each component of the web needs to be led or at least approved and contributed to by the traditional owners of the territory upon which it lies.

The ramifications of this will be enormous. To have the songlines in the public domain, valued and known by all Australians - this would really publically negate the idea of terra nullius... it would indicate a strong Indigenous presence on the land, and place our sovereign rights in clear view. And to be able to travel these ways again when approaching a different language group's land - this will be very empowering.

For more of this early planning process, read or join the discussion at Native Land Action . We would value your contributions or feedback on our ideas.