The Soil In Which My Roots Now Grow

This record was conceived, composed
And created on stolen, unceded land
I pay my respects to elders past, present, and emerging
Of the wurundjeri, bunurong, turrbal
Kaurna, barunggam and bundjalung peoples
On whose land this work was done
I pay my respects to the wurundjeri and bunurong peoples
Who have been the continual custodians and protectors of the land
Which I cautiously call my home, in spite of the injustices
Inflicted upon them and on their communities

I pay my respects to all first nations peoples
On this continent and on others
And I acknowledge that I partake in a mere continuation
Of creative practice which has dwelled in these lands
For thousands and thousands of years before it was stolen and colonised
It always was and always will be aboriginal land

I pay my respects to my own ancestors, in blood, and in spirit
Known and unknowable, the ones who went before
Whose bodies fertilise the soil in which my roots now grow

I pay my respects to an uprising generation
Advocating for the wellbeing and the healing
Of an inheritance which has been set on fire

I pay my respects to the creator in and of it all
In the flood, and flame, sea, and sky, in body and breath