The Drip: A Short Story

This giant sandstone formation is approximately 350 million years old and has been inhabited by local Aboriginal tribes for as long as 20,000 years. The Bungles span over a 450km2 area in

New South Wales West locates one of the greatest archaeological sites in Australia’s history, that is, Lake Mungo.

After we went on the Polly Woodside we went to the Yarra river. The Aboriginals call it Birrarung Marr because that's the rivers original name. When we walked around the river he showed us how to cut out blades from the tree. He showed us that the white things that are on the that look like spider webs is actually sap aboriginals said that it was like sugar. We even got to taste it! Then we went in a building that has all of the things that aboriginals use to use to hunting and play with. For example a possum ball that children use to play with and aboriginals use to paint a leaves, but as always it was time to say goodbye to Birrarung Marr.

There were numerous powerful testimonies and striking findings noted throughout the and first two chapters of the book Birth Matters by Ina May Gaskin. As a health care provider, and therefore someone who is entrusted to care for individuals during their most private and sacred times, I found Gaskin’s statements regarding the environment and care surrounding birth experiences very impactful. According to Gaskin (2011), the “women’s perceptions about their bodies and their babies’ capabilities will be deeply influenced by the care they recieve around the time of birth” (p. 22). The statements made by Gaskin in Birth Matters not only ring true, but inspires one

The tale of ‘The Man from Snowy River’, has played a focal part in the Australian National Consciousness. In addition it became a national symbol of the bushmen horse rider and are now consequently enshrined in our cultural mythology.

115-miles south of Moab is a land revered by generations of climbers, hikers, and adventurers. It’s a land known as the Bears Ears, a series of buttes that constitute jeep trails, sacred archeological sites, unique sandstone formations, and the cherished climbing walls of Indian Creek. Not only loved by outdoorsman, the Bears Ears is also an important area to the Navajo, Ute, and Pueblo Native American tribes. Excavations here have revealed rock art, pottery, and cliff dwellings, documenting over a millennium of human habitation. The Bears Ears are loved but unprotected, and they are at a pivotal crossroads.

A few hundred kilometres to the south-east of Broken Hill in Mungo National Park, the land’s eldest human remnants were found. Mungo National Park offers continuous 40,000 year record by Aboriginal people for the occupation of Australia.

Watson and Mason’s article, “Power of the first Hour” and Risworth, et al.’s article “I was on the way to the Hospital but I Delivered in the Bush” both focus on aspects of maternal and infant care and demonstrate the fundamental differences between western policies enacted to improve women’s lives in developing countries and the local realty in those developing countries.

This book is based mostly around aboriginal culture and their connection to their culture and ancestors, this can be seen in many ways, but the most important ones are ‘They dance, bare feet stamping into that wood floor. The sound of those clapsticks scare off the bad spirits’’ seen on page fifty. This uses techniques of imagery and personification and it links to cultural heritage because a big part of their culture is their spiritual world, and their traditional dances relate to their spirits. This book uses the technique personification a lot, to bring life to nature, which they’re deeply connected to. The text ‘’ With no buildings around, with that sea lapping a rhythm and mountains hugging in close, with the sun in the sky and the birds in the trees, it doesn't seem like the world’s gonna end no more’’, found on page 52.This use of personification and imagery, displays the theme of cultural heritage and how a big part of their culture was their bond with their

The Australian remote landscape, commonly known as ‘the outback’ is a powerful symbol that has shaped the Australian identity. Many foreigners and even locals, without any knowledge of the harsh climate, would enter the desert at the risk of never returning alive. In 2009, two men had perished in the harsh Northern Territory outback. Acting Superintendent Steve Heyworth said, “Both men who died fell victim to the harshness of the arid conditions of the Northern Territory.” This horrific incident is just one example of the severity of ‘the outback’. From this local folklore, a metaphor of the

For hundred of years, women have wrestled with their womanhood, bodies, and what it means to be a woman in our society. Being a woman comes with a wonderful and empowering responsibility--giving birth. What sets us aside from other countries is that the process and expectations of giving birth has changed in our society; coming from midwifery, as it has always been since the early times, to hospitals where it is now expected to give birth at. Midwifery was a common practice in delivering babies in

Jack Davis’ ‘Honey Spot’ outlines the interaction between the Winalli family and Peggy and the Ranger, and the media article ‘Brisbane Tent Embassy battle goes on as Elder stands up for his rights’ by the National Indigenous Times Online discusses the arrest of an Indigenous elder after practising his culture at the Tent Embassy site in Musgrave Park. There are many common themes discussed throughout both ‘Honey Spot’ and ‘Brisbane Tent Embassy battle goes on as Elder stands up for his sovereign rights.’ Whilst both very different styles of text the themes of stereotype-driven misconceptions, Indigenous cultural practices being frequently frowned on by non-Indigenous Australians and rigid beliefs about environmental protection inhibiting Aboriginal

The Australian Indigenous community hold extremely significant corrections to the land of Australia, of which they refer to as ‘Country.’ Indigenous people acquire deep meaning from the land, sea and the countless resources derived from them. This special relationship has formed for many centuries. To them ‘Country’ is paramount for overall wellbeing; the strong, significant, spiritual bonds embody their entire existence. Knowledge is continually passed down to create an unbroken connection of past,

Through the Grandmother’s Law women are assisted through the birth by strong and supportive women. Traditional healing practices used by Indigenous midwives during the birth, include therapeutic massage for relaxation, sand, heat, smoke and fire to help with pain and being spiritually strong after birth was important for the mother and baby. Traditional rituals aimed at stopping bleeding, healing, warming will be used.

I will never forget the moment my labor began, the moment that marked that step in my journey into motherhood. I can remember everything about it so clearly. My mom, fiancé, and I woke up early Friday morning to make our way to Western Missouri Medical Center. I stood in front of the mirror looking at my belly knowing it would be my last time standing in that bathroom with my baby inside of me still. It was a bittersweet moment that I cherished as long as I possibly could. I was set to be induced that morning and very excited, yet a little bit nervous. I had no idea what to expect. I’d been waiting a very long 37 weeks to finally meet this precious human that had been growing inside me. I had ideas of what he might look like, and what the experience might be like, however nothing could have prepared me for what was in store over the next few days.