Blog by Valerie
The word gift has a very interesting etymology. I remember being surprised as a child to learn that Gift meant ‘poison’ in German. Turns out it means …
Tag Archives: multiculturalism
Healing Whiteness Trauma
Blog by Valerie
…“The first step in liquidating a people…is to erase its memory…Before long a nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was. The world
Thanks-Giving at Solstice
Blog by Valerie
A few months ago somewhere in the outback around Broken Hill, I experienced a spiritual lightning strike inside. Something in me died, an old dream (maybe …
Outliers
Most of us are familiar with outliers from mathematics, as illustrated by this image:
I have always felt like an outlier. Outliers can be inspiring leaders, and can also …
Earth Ethos child development
Blog by Valerie
Some studies of newborns suggest that humans’ most fundamental need is to be part of a culture, to engage with their social environment and try to make …
Anglo-Celtic Australian identity
Blog by Lukas
One of the hardest things about being an Anglo-Celtic Australian is not having a culture that gives deep meaning, context, and guidance to the struggles of my …
Existential Wounds
Blog by Valerie
Existential wounds seem to occur more often for those of us with multi-cultural, immigrant, and colonial heritage. When we are (or our ancestors were) forcibly moved, …
Healing & Cultural Appropriation
Blog by Valerie
In the previous post I wrote about how complex it is to honour multiple cultural identities, ground ourselves where we are now and honour the ancestors of …
Multiculturalism & Cultural Appropriation
Blog by Valerie
You may have grown up, like me, steeped in multiculturalism in your home and city, eating foods from all over the world, making friends with others of …