At a passing glance, the gnarled, stumpy branches and massacred bark of the majestic river Red Gum could have easily been mistaken for a lone pillar of deadwood; battered and ravaged by time and the natural elements.

Silent in concentration as the words of the Elder reverberated in their ears, the participants gathered around the wide girth of the tree, slowly beginning to comprehend the physical legacy of self sufficiency, ingenuity and tradition that these ancient ancestors had left behind and feeling a deep sense of shame at knowing more about their European heritage than that of the culture in their own backyard.

(Photo: Nardia | a life like ours)