Arts, Design & Architecture

Yanyiminga muday Ngurrawa: the power of learning on Country

Indigenous

Published on the 18 December 2025
Close-up of hands holding and weaving native plant fibres into a traditional cultural object.
Providing a culturally safe learning space is integral to promoting a more inclusive education.

“On-Country learning helps embed a deeper understanding of and engagement with Indigenous culture. Connecting to Country (place) is integral to belonging for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” says Anissa Jones, Burubirangal Dharug woman and Indigenous Academic Specialist at UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA).

“Learning on Country promotes an open, sensitive and responsive relationship to people, presences and events on Country for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples,” says the proud Dharug woman. “This respectful sharing of Knowledge is essential to enable a more inclusive education.”

The Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture is investing in developing staff skills for including Indigenous Knowledges in curriculum design and fostering culturally safe spaces through on-Country learning.

“Too often we are asked to complete training with no thought about the practices behind it. There must be a real focus on cultural practices, cultural Knowledge and respect. These can’t be taught solely via a Moodle [unit],” she says.

“When we take the time to be present in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spaces, listening and learning can take place.”

Ms Jones is conducting on-Country learning that brings together principles of wingaru (learn), bayala (talk) and nhaala ngarala (see and listen), ngubady gulbanga (with love and respect).

“We’re walking on Country and learning from Country because if people don't know what Country actually looks like and sounds like and feels like, how can they include it in their learning?”

Through on-Country learning, Ms Jones engages with “Country-in-the-city”, acknowledging our changing relationships for custodial care in relation to presences, places and practices – physical and metaphysical – embedded for millennia.

The workshops incorporate cultural awareness and cultural safety training. Cultural awareness is about showing respect for the culture you’re working with; it’s about fostering meaningful and reciprocal relationships with communities to build better relationships, Ms Jones says.

“Whereas cultural safety is about creating an environment that’s safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We’re working towards improving our cultural capacity – our ability to walk the walk and talk the talk.”

This means developing the behaviours and skills, the Knowledge and the systems needed to support Aboriginal people in a culturally respectful and appropriate manner, she says.

“If we don't learn from the history of this country – the true history of this country – … [if we don’t leverage the] cycle of education, we’re going to continue to cause problems, not only for people but for Country,” she says.
The artwork represents the impact of Invasion and symbolises the strength of Aboriginal Peoples' continued connection to Country, Culture and Lore. Anissa Jones

Providing experiences of culture on Country

Aboriginal Knowledges and perspectives enhance the educational experience for all students and staff as well as improving the learning outcomes of Aboriginal students.

In 2024, in partnership with ADA Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Ms Jones ran workshops that introduced ADA staff and students to Indigenous artistic practices, creating opportunities for Aboriginal cultural Knowledge sharing and wellbeing.

“The workshops were hands-on experiences empowering participants with a sense of meaningful connection and the opportunity to learn from the oldest living culture in the world,” Ms Jones says.

“They involved yarning between academic and professional staff and students as well as language and history discussions. Yarning is key [to fostering a greater shared understanding of Indigenous Knowledges and culture].”

Increasing the Aboriginal cultural footprint on campus

Ms Jones has been collaborating on projects that increase the visibility of Country through Indigenous campus walks and bush gardens, exhibitions and on-Country experiences.

Professor Daniel Robinson, human geographer and environmental science scholar from the School of Humanities & Languages, and Associate Professor Miri (Margaret) Raven, a geographer and Noongar-Yamatji woman from the UNSW Social Policy Research Centre, have been updating the UNSW bushtucker walk, part of UNSW's Green Trail.

Ms Jones has conducted sound walks with a focus on the presence of Country on the UNSW Paddington campus with Dr Adam Hulbert. “Oxford Street used to be main transport way – foot highway where we go from one part of country to another – and so the British would always put roads where the main thoroughfares used to be, where they'd seen mob walking back and forth.

She collaborated on the Yanma badhu (Dharug) – Water Walk as part of the UNSW Library exhibition, Living Water. Developed by Troy Reid, a Burubiragal Dharug from the UNSW Esme Timbrey Creative Practice Lab, and Dr Clare Britton from School of the Arts and Media (SAM), with other Indigenous staff members B.Hardy (Built Environment), and Liza-Mare Syron (SAM), the project also received mentorship from Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor, Gadigal/Bidjigal/Yuin Elder; Bernadette Hardy, Dharug/Gamilaraay ADA Professor of Practice (Indigenous), and Astrida Neimanis, an environmental humanities researcher from the University of Sydney.

The waterways and wetlands project considers how water moves through and on Bidjigal and Kamaygal Land, winding under urban streets, through pools in golf courses, and rising through ancient aquifers to flood "reclaimed" dyuwumba/swampland.

Associate Professor Liza-Mare Syron and Associate Professor Fabri Blacklock, Co-Associate Deans, Indigenous, UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture say that “having Anissa employed under the ADA Indigenous Strategy to deliver workshops to staff on Indigenising curriculum is a unique opportunity that all ADA staff should participate in.”
"Yanyiminga muday Ngurrawa" (walk softly on Country with me) weaving workshop was held in October 2024 with support from Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Academics, professional staff, and students gathered under the jacaranda tree in the Morven Brown courtyard for this immersive experience. Throughout the day, participants engaged in discussions about the materials used in weaving, and the rich language and history of the local area, fostering a deeper connection to Country and each other.
Search all stories Read next story