About the writer:
Dr Montana Chugg

There is a word in palawa kani, payarrimi, that means ‘the black spaces within the Milky way’. My ancestors recognised the spaces between the stars – they gave it its own name and its own identity, understanding that not only the light deserves tribute.

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My culture has always been good at defining the things in-between. We did not need a constellation to tell us the beauty of the black sky and the red soil; treasured the rivers that carry life from one place to another.

 

Western Culture is not so good at the same. We always seek the next big adventure, the dangerous highs and serotonin associated with flashy cars, climbing mountains and finishing exams.

 

It is so easy to go from one exciting moment to the next – the bright, boisterous stars – that we miss our black spaces.

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payarrimi is a blog dedicated to remembering those spaces between - and giving me, the writer, a chance to ponder how they have changed me.

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I hope you, too, find something you've lost or forgotten amongst my writing.

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kani soon.