Dreamy is a collection of FREE mindful audio stories from the First Storytellers – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. While the stories are contemporary and beautifully encapsulate the relationship between First Nations people and Country. The accompanying learning kits include activity resources and cultural connection cards.
Series 1
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Bilabang - Gather seeds and weave baskets with Jazz, learning the language of care for Country. As the river whispers ancient stories, you feel embraced by Country's heartbeat, warmed by campfire glow and the gentle flow of the river's embrace.
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Journey to the Centre - Aurora Liddle-Christie provides a thoughtful space for breathing in, aheye-angkeme, and breathing out, in this journey to their homeland in the red centre of semi-arid desert Country with eucalyptus trees, ghost gums, hills of bouldering rocks and scrubby grasslands. Focusing on breathing and letting go of tension, this Dreamy story will help you feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
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Living Echoes - Dakota Feirer shares a journey of the living echoes of saltwater Country. From swells and ripples of saltwater to warm kisses of winds and subtle breezes singing through gum leaf canopies. Living Echoes is a gentle, meditative story that connects water and Country.
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Moon Holds Water - Dr Romaine Moreton tells a story of fishing, cooking and eating yugeri from the beach shores of Fingal Heads, Bundjalung Country, a place of cherished childhood memories with family. In eating yugeri, Romaine reflects on the representation it has in the significance of knowledge from ancient lands, Countries and Old People.
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Star Dust and Tagai - Ghenoa Gela shares the story of Tagai – a star warrior in her Torres Strait Islander culture who uses the Milky Way as a canoe, and the Southern Cross as a fishing spear. Connection to sky is equally as important as connection to land and sea, with the sun, moon and stardust taking you to rest, sleep and dreams, in this gentle dreamy journey.
Download: Series 1 Learning Kit
Series 2
- Buungbaa-ma-ndhu - Kirli Saunders centres Gundungurra language in this story of rising like the sun, with singing, dancing, dreaming, hunting and speaking in mother tongue, before the sun sets at dawn. Kirili shares gratitude for the teachings of Aunty Velma Mulcahy and Aunty Sharyn Halls. This story was originally commissioned by Fremantle Biennale and Ngununggula, and has been extended through the Dreamy series.
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Land, the Sky, the Fire and I - Nayuka Gorrie shares a reflective story from interactions between the sun and moon, to stars Ancestors have seen and descendants will see; to sensory observations from the warmth of a fire built by their family, to the sounds of birds chirping, frogs croaking and insects humming.
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Margaret - Scott Willson shares Gooniyandi thangarndi (language) in a story inspired by Gooniyandi Riwi (Country) and his grandmother Margaret, named after the Margaret River that runs through Gooniyandi Country. She spent most of her life by the ocean and fishing in the sea. It shares a journey of someone living away from Country, but knowing that Country lives within us.
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Zagu - Yessie Mosby tells a story from the Torres Strait about Zagu and the fireflies. The story is as old as the oldest star in the sky and Zagu is a young boy of the sea who loves to play, dance, sing and be free like a dolphin.
Download: Series 2 Learning Kit
Dreamy was first launched in 2021 as part of a collaboration between Common Ground and Snapchat, supported by Registered Psychologist Greta Bradman. While the stories are contemporary, they bring an age-old practice of oral storytelling into the digital space. At the same time, the stories beautifully encapsulate the relationship between First Nations people and Country.
For more information: Dreamy - Mindful Stories From First Nations Storytellers
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