Getting on country: How toilet paper can bring our whole nation together for a cause!
Yarn'n is all about growth in every aspect of the word.
This growth starts with me, the founder, if I am not growing as a person, our brand stalls. Part of my growth is better understanding who I am and where I come from. This is the story of how Yarn'n came about.
Earlier last year, I travelled to Wagga Wagga and Griffith in NSW. My Aboriginal bloodline tracks back through central NSW for a very long time, back to 1828; we have a deep history there. I was fortunate to be born and raised in the beautiful bayside area of Brisbane, on Quandamooka country, I say fortunate as it is a wonderful place to live, with the most beautiful islands on our doorstep. While I was lucky to be raised in such a beautiful place, I never had much connection to my country.
On my trip back to Country in June, I felt and understood the connection to land. I spent a day walking the Wiradjuri track through Wagga Wagga and immediately felt connected while sitting by the Murrumbidgee River. Sitting on the banks for at least 30 minutes, imagining all the people who used to live along the river and how different it would have looked in a thriving time of the Aboriginal people living on the land and the waterways.
I had the same sense of connection driving from Wagga to Griffith, the long roads with nothing but trees and grassy fields, beautiful Country, still so much untouched. The time alone in the car driving through Country gave me an unmistakable vision of Yarn'n and how important it is for us to continue to talk about culture and language; I knew I wanted to find a way to share that knowledge.
Whilst I was in Wagga Wagga, I had the opportunity to sit down with the CEO of Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation, Ally Coe, the fella responsible for the Wiradjuri Dictionary, alongside Uncle Stan Grant and Aunty Flo Grant. This was an opportunity for me to showcase Yarn'n, request and accept permission to share our Language and inspire people to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture and Language.
My trip has inspired me to return and go out on Country with my Elders, sit down and yarn, listen to the stories and learn. Through learning, we as a country can be united to bring about real generational change between all Aussies. I encourage everyone to take a quick trip away from our busy lives and take a few days to go to where you and your people are from. For all of my non-Indigenous brothers and sisters, reach out to the mob on the land you live on, connect with them, and take a tour with the traditional owners of the land; I hope it will give you a better understanding and appreciation of the land you live on.