Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kellywork collaboratively with each other in post-colonial Australia, mindful and inrespect of, our separate and combined experiences.Ganma influences interactions, providing ways for people to connect and workwith each other more deeply and respectfully, creating new knowledge that isnot yours or mine but ours. The Yolngu people say that if we try to capture thecollaborative knowledge/ foam in our hands it evaporates; it is only throughgently holding the foam that it lingers, revealing itself to us. If we force it, itdisappears (Pyrch & Castillo 2001; Yunggirringa & Garnggulkpuy 2007).Creating foam requires more than a joining of intellect and egos. In order tohear the quiet sounds of foam, one needs to listen with one’s heart, to be awareof the experiencing not just the experiences (Yunggirringa & Garnggulkpuy2007). Similarly, the Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri Elder women told me that unlessyou can join us with both your head and your heart; you will do no significantwork with us (Aboriginal Women's Reference Group 2005). The Ganmaprocess provides a vision of how we can deepen our understanding of who weare, what we have to offer, and how we can engage with others in respectfulrelationships in postcolonial Australia (Pyrch & Castillo 2001; Yunggirringa &Garnggulkpuy 2007). The first step involves listening respectfully to eachother.Dadirri listening to one anotherMany Aboriginal people describe the importance of deep respectful listeningand building connections with each other. The Elder women told me;you sit and listen to us, so we tell you things we wouldn’t tell otherpeople. You listen and show respect, and in return we listen and showrespect- it goes two-ways (Aboriginal Women's Reference Group 2005).Similarly, Judy Atkinson (2002), a Jiman and Bundjalung descendant withCeltic-German heritage, discusses the important role that deep listening has inhealing and positive change in postcolonial Australia. She refers to the conceptof Dadirri, an inner deep listening as shared by Ngangikurungkurr people andin particular, Miriam Rose Ungunmerr of the Daly River area in the NorthernTerritory.90