Tjanara Goreng Goreng Presentation

“The Road of Eldership – Leadership in the Tjurkurpa Way”
With permission from her Elders and Teachers, Tjanara talks about how Elders become leaders in Aboriginal/Anangu life, based on humility, respect for others, relationships and the world, their ability to resolve conflict amongst groups and people and maintain harmony with self, relationships and the world. We take this responsibility seriously and our whole lives are built around learning the power of taking care of these things.

This talk shares this ancient knowledge, not that well known in the outside world, of how children and young people are prepared for Eldership all their lives based on spirit/soul development in the power of the Sacred way of the Tjurkurpa. From her mother Wakka Wakka Wulli Wulli Elder Tjanara will share the Three Laws of Respect and how learning to live this Law throughout her life has helped her overcome many deep challenges in living in two worlds and learning to be an Elder of spirit and compassion in honour of following her own teachers and Elders, Tjanara strives to BE true to spirit, Law and the expectations of those whose footsteps she follows in – to maintain and sustain self, others and the world.

Tjanara is an Assistant Professor at the Ngunnawal Centre, University of Canberra, but more importantly she is now an Auntie/Teacher in the Law through following her Elder teachers and she is on The Road to Eldership. Now 52 years old Tjanara has spent all her life learning and following the Tjurkurpa Law and seeks the humility, unconditional love and harmony that is Kanyini, in order to BE an Elder later in her life and support the young ones Become Elders.

Tjanara gave a 56 minute presentation and story telling session at the JIVE series for the UC Women's Group Mentoring Program as follows

Note: If you cannot play this file, then click this link and then on the left-hand side click "MP3 via M3U" (to hear the mp3 format)

This is an audio recording only. If you are further interested in the visual materials and Tjanara's PhD project please contact Tjanara.

0 Openning music and images

2:30 Silence while setting up slide show

3:40 Welcome from Putri

5:35 Tjanara and starting song

5:35 Story of early life (distant from microphone because it was put down during starting song)

8:20 Relationship to land and people

14:00 Meeting Uncle Bob

16:30 Aboriginal life as sacred life (return to microphone)

18:00 Children not forced or controlled but nurtured and allowed to emerge

19:00 Complementary qualities of men and women

21:30 Governance system and development of young people

22:40 Ability to judge, to tolerate, to be unconditionally loving, to resolve conflict

24:20 Transition from youth getting older

24:30 Education system

27:00 How do people become elders

29:00 First quality is to show humility

30:00 Second quality is to be able to resolve conflict and be discerning

32:00 Foundation laws of respect in Aboriginal culture - a spiritual gift

35:15 Respect yourself first - overcoming co-dependence in relationships

37:00 Respect anf honour everyone else

38:45 Respect and honour our Mother the Earth

40:10 Kanyini - Law of Harmony and Unconditional Love - Caring for all Living Things

41:50 Nparji Nparji - The law of Sharing Reciprocity - Never leaving anything empty

44:40 Tjurkurpa - never losing anything - everything connected

46:10 Ancient and long knowledge

47:55 Powerful leaders are people who are sacred in their way. Leaders help people reconnect to a sacred way of living

49:30 Questions

53:40 Getting yourself ready inside to show up and take responsibility

56 Finish

This was also reported in the UC Monitor online

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