ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to acknowledge the land on which I stand today, the Catti clan of the Dharug nation. The Catti people have longed nurtured the land and protected it for generations. I would like to pay respects to the elders past, present and emerging, and extend that to all Aboriginal people reading this today. I acknowledge Uncle Greg Simms as an elder and Knowledge Holder of these lands as a Gadigal, Dharug, Gundungurra, Yuin man. I acknowledge that these are his stories.
Uncle Greg tells us the story of the snake and its profound meaning to the community and as a totem. With this he has given me a metaphor of protection and connotations of respects and support. These values in relationships and protection our mirrored in my life and my personal morals, shown through how I hold myself when communicating with others. I find that if I protect and love those around me I receive the same unconditional support in return.
