Women and the Land
The following was written in 1998 as part of university studies and served as the text for a video as well as a directional arrow for the reading, series of performances, and analysis which comprised my thesis, Centre of the Storm . Written spontaneously in response to artwork by I. Kindness ( Mat meets gloss. PCL Exhibitionists, Sydney, 1998) [1] , the poem was driven by years of questioning my ancestral story in the context of the colonisation of Australia and the impact this had on the First Peoples. Details of this process can be found in the thesis Introduction , especially the sections Less Than Half the Story and Performance as Religious Expression and Political Action . Introduction and Contents WOMEN AND THE LAND (filmed on Gadigal and Dharug land) (All photos are of A. Maie and artwork by I. Kindness) Women and the Land Women on the Land Women in the Land Tread softly dear heart Each step a mark.....an imprint Know where you step Be su