Duncan Poulson’s scientific contributions

Humanity-including Indigenous and Western peoples-is experiencing growing multiple existential crises (e.g., climate change, disasters, pandemics, physical and mental decline and disease, poverty, wars, water and food shortages, broken systems). These crises threatening our very existence increasingly force us to critically reflect on the roots of the crises and what needs to happen to restore the health and wellbeing of all creatures including humans and our planet. In our initiative Yolŋu from diverse Clans living in the very remote community Galiwin'ku in Arnhem Land (NT) and Western allies from different organisations and countries work together two-way to find answers to both questions. We suggest that both Indigenous and Western peoples need to transform and regenerate their existence in ways that restore humans living again in harmony with nature. Two interconnected pathways emerged. The first pathway consists of us becoming conscious of the multitude of ways in which the Western culture and society have and still are disconnecting us from us having deep relations with and understanding of our interconnectedness with nature, the invisible feminine spiritual world, our ancestors, and the ancient Indigenous LAW that creates a culture and society that ensures the health of all creatures. The second pathway involves remembering, reconnecting with, reviving and living according to our true primordial sacred nature, the invisible spiritual world, our ancestors, and ancient Indigenous LAW. Several years ago, we started walking both pathways together long-term and two-way to identify and facilitate ways in which Yolŋu can best regenerate and strengthen living according to their Yolŋu Rom or LAW to restore living in harmony, cease 'natural' and social disasters and address the multiple existential crises. In this presentation we are offering insights into how we are working together two-way and the holistic knowledges we co-created thus far regarding the many interconnected aspects that strengthen and Yolŋu how they could be regenerated, and the many interconnected aspects that weakens Yolŋu and how they could be stopped. It is our hope that us sharing will add to the growing recognition that Indigenous ways of being-knowing-doing are sophisticated and the key to our survival, and inspire other Indigenous and Western peoples to walk with us two-way and long-term to regenerate the existence of life.

The multiple crises we are experience are both a threat to our existence and an opportunity to regenerate and even transform our existence. Restoring the health of all creatures including humans and our planet requires us transforming in ways that enable us to live again in harmony with nature. Being able to do so necessitates walking two intertwined transformative pathways. The first pathway entails becoming conscious of the multitude of ways in which the Western culture and society have and still are disconnecting us from us having deep relations with and understanding of our interconnectedness with nature, the invisible feminine spiritual world, our ancestors, and the ancient Indigenous LAW that creates a culture and society that ensures the health of all creatures. The second pathway involves remembering, reconnecting with, reviving and living according to our true primordial sacred nature, the invisible spiritual world, our ancestors, and ancient Indigenous LAW. We – Yolŋu from diverse Clans living in the very remote community Galiwin’ku in Arnhem Land (NT) and Western allies from different organisations and countries – are walking both pathways together long-term two-way to facilitate Yolŋu reviving and strengthening living their Yolŋu Rom or LAW to heal and to regenerate Indigenous capacities that enable harmonious living and health holistically. This regenerating will also reduce the risk of ‘natural’ and social disasters. We are offering the holistic knowledges we co-created thus far in this AIATSIS funded project. We will share about how we are working together two-way, what strengthens and what weakens Yolŋu, and pathways for Yolŋu reviving and strengthening what strengths Yolŋu and removing what weakens Yolŋu. We hope that us sharing will increase recognition of the sophistication and value of Indigenous cultures, and inspire other Indigenous and Western peoples to walk with us two-way and long-term to regenerate the existence of life.