Steve Hopper

It belongs to the elders and other family members who are telling us.

And if you other researchers want to access it, don't come to us, go to the elders and talk to them.

Respectful interaction is the key.

If you do that and are genuine, then, you know, this second learning experience opens up.

You know, I talked a little bit about my ocular theory, which at the time I thought, oh, you beauty, no one's thought up anything like this.

about why southwestern Australia is so rich and in species found nowhere else.

And I asked Lynette about the second time we got together, how do you care for country?

And she said, there are two words in our language you have to know for a start, and they are cart and beliar.

So cart is their word for the small hilltops that we have, like the one I'm looking at just outside the window in Albany, like Mount Clarence.

But it's also the same word for the human head.

And the belief system is that the hilltops have the same attributes as human heads.

They have eyes, so they see over country.

They have ears, they hear everything that goes on.

They have a brain and a deep connection to protecting the budja, the country.

So you go out bush here and you're never alone.

You're under the gaze of the spirits in the hills.

Beliar is their word for fresh water, but it also connects to the human body.

It's the same word for mother's milk, for breast milk.

And in the same way that, you know, to grow up a happy, healthy adult human being, breast milk is the best thing since sliced bread as an infant, so too with fresh water.

You know, we just have to have it and we have to look after it.