Going on a walkabout through the Blue Mountains was a perfect way to start off my studies while in Australia. This tour led by Evan Yanna Muru, an aborigine, gave me great insight into what being an aborigine is all about. Interacting with Evan and his mellow tone, relaxed attitude, go-with-the-flow approach and take-things-as-they-come way helped me understand how he connects spiritually. His way of life also keeps him very young mentally and physically.
What I was first surprised to hear from Evan was that only 200,000 aborigines are left in Australia and that the bloodline has become so diluted that many are white. There has not been a full-blooded aborigine for the last forty years found in Australia. He continued to explain to us that the color of one’s skin and one’s bloodline is not what aboriginal culture is about. Instead, it is about the way one leads their life and how spiritually connected they are to their land. According to the Australian government however, you must hold a certificate in order to consider yourself an aborigine. Also, the government categorizes aboriginal people by the languages they speak and the aboriginal nation they are a part of rather than their clan area. This is a good example of the modern world trying to order and complicate everything, versus a simple aboriginal lifestyle.
Evan was full of great advice that I will look back on throughout my life. He taught our group an abundance of spiritual and physical health tips. He had everyone laughing when he recommended we stick eucalyptus leaves up our nose. I must say the smell was exquisite and cleared my nasal passages right up! At the beginning of our walk, Evan told us about the importance of walking like the elders. Taking light steps and feeling every step of the earth not only helps one connect to nature and their spirit better, but it is also better for your body. He suggested that we all apply this to our lives in the modern world. For a while I was fairly certain he was about to make us all take off our shoes right then and there.
The aborigine group Evan is a part of believes that the spirit comes from the ground and enters every person between conception and birth. He explained to us the initiation process and how a walkabout applies to it. He suggested that we connect to the dreaming world by leaving our thinking minds in the modern world and bringing all of our senses to our day on walkabout. We used our sense of touch to connect with nature by feeling the plants and rubbing the bark on trees as we hiked. My favorite tree was the river red gum tree, which has sticky red juice seeping from its bark that has antiseptic properties. I looked as if I was bleeding all over because I started rubbing so much of the red gum on my body. Evan also had us try chewing on many edible plants. I particularly enjoyed the Australian bush chewy that tasted like licorice.
When we stopped for lunch we painted leaves and rocks with mineral paint. I painted some leaves with historical symbols. The paints were made of mineral such as clay, charcoal, and iron. The simple and carefree lifestyle of Evan, our aboriginal leader, came through when I suggested we painted our faces instead of the rocks. Before I knew it Evan was creating a masterpiece, using my face as the canvas.
Evan showed our group many spiritual sites that showed the rainbow serpent and other historical images. He told us dreamtime stories that taught us about improving our wellbeing. This walkabout taught me that over thinking is a modern world application, which complicates our lives. On the other hand, feeling and connecting brings us positive energy that simplifies our lives.
As we got farther and farther into the bush I began to achieve a deeper understanding of the connection Evan spoke of and really enjoyed the walkabout, so much that I was really sad to go back to the hustle and bustle of the city.
