What Listening to Elders Has Taught Me About Country

Years ago I spent time in the Black Hills of South Dakota and met Chief Joe American Horse.

One thing he said has stayed with me:

“The Black Hills used to be ours, but it’s not anymore.”

I remember the sorrow of those words and the dignity with which they were spoken.

Travelling and listening to Indigenous elders in different parts of the world has continually reminded me that land is never merely landscape.

Place carries relationship, memory, ancestry and responsibility.

That understanding has deeply influenced the way I guide today.

Whether I am walking with people in the Bunya Mountains or guiding in Central Australia, Deep Listening to Nature begins with respect.

We arrive slowly.

We listen before assuming we understand.

We remember that we are visitors within something much older than ourselves.

Learn more about Iris Ray Nunn and the approach behind Deep Listening to Nature.

Chief Joe American Horse and Iris Ray Nunn