I am honoured to introduce you to my guest today, a woman who brings such an incredible depth of joy, connection, and gratitude to this space as we talk about creating powerful Acknowledgements of Country. 

Natarsha Bamblett is an Indigenous leader and facilitator, speaker, storyteller and entrepreneur. She is a mother, she was the first player signed to the Richmond Victorian Football League Women’s (VFLW), a member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and spends a large portion of her time performing ceremonial acknowledgements at events, running her own masterclasses and women’s circles, all by the age of 26. To say that she has achieved a lot is an understatement.

In this episode, Natarsha shares from her journey of coming home to country and how she creates safe places for others to deepen and strengthen their own knowledge through First Nations wisdom and connecting to self, culture and country. 

Natarsha talks about having always been a challenger and how she has learned to be a challenger in a soft and gentle way by inviting others to walk the journey of learning and understanding. 

We talk about what Acknowledgement of Country means, why it is so important and how we can all participate in bringing unity where there has been separation and healing to the wounds of generations. Natarsha talks about honouring the land, the role we all play in being mindful of the footprint we are leaving and so much more. 

This is such a beautiful and impactful episode. You are going to love Natarsha’s powerful yet gentle and warm spirit.

TOPICS DISCUSSED AND WHERE TO FIND THEM:

[1:00]: Shout out to the three amazing panel speakers at my recent Modern Marketing Collective event where Natarsha also shared and involved us all to create a powerful acknowledgement of country 

[2:00]: Natarsha’s bio

[5:55]: Natarsha shares her heritage and the importance of acknowledging her skin names as a form of identifying and connecting with her cultural background. 

[7:00]: The power of acknowledgments to bring unity amongst people in a country where there has been and still is a lot of separation and to heal trauma which indigenous people have endured throughout the generations

[9:00]: Natarsha had to work twice as hard to gain equal opportunity and her family was always very supportive of her to pursue what she wanted

[11:45]: Natarsha has always been a challenger, to push herself and others as hard as possible but she also has to step back and acknowledge how much she has achieved at a young age. 

[13:30]: Natarsha has learned to be the challenger in a soft and gentle way, by inviting others to walk the journey of learning and understanding and creating a safe place for them

[15:45]: You don’t really know who you are until you own all parts of yourself. When someone can let go and be seen, it creates healing

[17:50]: Natarsha has gone from working 9-5 in community to running her own business, doing ceremonial acknowledgements at events, running her own masterclasses and women’s circles

[20:00]: An Acknowledgement is different to Welcome to Country. Welcome to Country is a sacred act performed by an elder and an Acknowledgement can be performed by anyone to deeply honour and walk in a sense of respect and connection 

[22:30]: There isn’t necessarily anything wrong you can do, but it comes down to your intention to see and acknowledge the First Nations people and the elders past, present and emerging.

[24:40]: An acknowledgement creates a sense of respect for what someone is doing and how Natarsha feels when she hears an acknowledgement from a non indigenous person. 

[26:15]: Find a connection to the country and the First Nations people yourself. Understanding the stories will bring you an acknowledgement from your heart. 

[29:00]: What you might expect at one of Natarsha’s speaking events and how she incorporates seeing, hearing and feeling to allow people to capture the essence, not just with words

[32:00]: Acknowledging yourself is where it starts. That allows you to acknowledge your life as a whole and respecting country and understanding the impact we have on the generations

[33:30]: We are in the supply and demand world and we are creating the most damage on the world. How can we care for Mother Earth in a way that impacts the generations for the better?

[37:45]: The rain we get today is the same rain our ancestors received. We need to be mindful of our actions and what type of footprint we leave

[40:00]: Indigenous people understand the country and look after it so well yet their voice isn’t big enough in the climate change discussion. 

[42:20]: Everyone’s story is important. Storytelling brings unity by sharing who we are and where we come from. 

[43:15]: In 2022, Natarsha plans to walk from Darwin to Tennant Creek in honour of the first nations people, the journeys they have walked and the challenges they have endured 

[46:00]: No one should feel ashamed of something that was before them, but a sense of ownership and responsibility and be a part of the change. 

CONNECT WITH NATARSHA:

Instagram: @queenacknowledgements

Facebook: @tarshbamblett