Yaama maliyaa – Hello friends – Aye aye min
Who are we and Where are we from?
We are Rachel Shields and Farquhar MacDougall.
Rachel: Through my Ngambaa (Mother) I am a descendant of the First Peoples of the land known as Australia, more precisely a descendant of the Weilwan and Gamilaroi peoples (within the North Western region of New South Wales). I also have my heritage in other lineages from around the Earth such as Irish and Scottish heritage. I am comfortable with and acknowledge this, respecting my ancestry and the ancestry of all humans who walk the Earth today.
Farquhar: I was born in the north east region of Scotland. My family lines run deep across the landscape and into the coastal regions, through my parents’ and grandparents combined. I deeply respect walking as a visitor upon the many Indigenous countries within Australia, I see and feel the connections between my own heritage and that of the lands and people here. The more I listen on Country, the more I feel the connections in our original ways of knowing and being; both upon the lands and within the waters.
We work in partnership celebrating our song lines and combining our awareness and skills. with a focus on encouraging custodianship, care, healing and deeper relationships between people and nature.
We feel that the natural world has so much beauty and information to offer.
What is Knowing In Nature about?
Knowing In Nature is underpinned by Indigenous ways of knowing and being, In understanding the foundations of a very deep science of how individuals and communities can flourish. Nature and humans are included within the greater picture, encouraging health and wellness in recognising ourselves within the greater ecology called life!
Basically, we need each other to thrive!
We are all Indigenous to the Earth, we are Nature, we all belong.
Knowing In Nature was formed as a means for sharing, healing and bringing community together via an Indigenous Lens or as we like to feel it, an original lens.
This website serves multiple purposes, it is a platform for sharing a window into the natural world and a meeting place to connect.
We feel the importance in keeping our humanity intact by engaging with people & the environment respectfully. This is what makes sense, keeping it real in our modern world of technological inter-faces.
“We all walk in many worlds, we do our best to respect all and encourage the balance within.”
Actioning Natural Skills and characteristics for the greater good
Within the diverse scope of areas I work within, I find that operating holistically and relationally is the master key to working with a balanced approach!
Experiential learning and discovery are keys in igniting awareness. Through this, our relationship to the environment becomes a relational intelligence weather in a workplace, among friends or in Nature. We can become attuned and present with the land, the animals, the plant life and with the spirit of life in all things, just as we can become more at ease with our own sense of being in all that we do in life!
Unlearning to remember is an opportunity of which all are welcome to. We acknowledge all are able to both share and learn and nature does not discriminate nor limit possibilities, neither do we. At K.I.N our intent is to support in inspiring respect for life, for the Land, for ecological Health & healing and for growing both independently and as a part of a greater environment and community. Everyone is allowed to succeed!
Throughout all, our intent is to respectfully contribute to social wellness and environmental care in an inclusive manner. We do this by drawing upon experience and connection to nature and and heritage, applying this wisdom in ways that are relevant and useful.
We understand that offering experiences assists people to gain insight and develop richer connections, this is invaluable. Not only does it support the individual, it can expand out from within to create a healthy community and better support the natural world.
Foundations
The foundations of which we work from are through the understanding that we each are but a small part of a greater environment. We exist within an ecology that is always offering up life, and within this life there is an intelligence. We can learn from this in ways that support balance for the benefit of all involved. Through being aware of this, you will find that there is really no need to recreate the wheel so to speak, for in truth; what we need is all ready right here, staring us in the face, but we do need to care for who and what we are.
Rachel: The Name Nainiouman is a name my Waabi (Mother’s mother) called me by, it simply means “nanny’s woman”. I tend to be guided by the knowledge of old and balance this in a contemporary environment. I have found this knowledge in itself to be timeless; it is from a foundation that includes all life into it’s reasoning.
It is a sustainable knowledge and when one looks deep enough into the life that exists all around us, they will inevitably arrive back to these foundations and revive the inner knowing and understanding of our KINship within Nature and and deepening our relationship with ourselves.
Please explore the site further to learn about programs, workshops, learning resources, community links and services offered.
