Steven Ulula Parker

Uncle Steve Parker is a Traditional Custodian of Boonwurrung Country. He is an artist, musician, performer, cultural educator and a mentor of Indigenous youth. He has lived on Country most of his life and has spent the last twenty years living on Millowl. He is a descendant of the Boonwurrung, Yorta Yorta and Erub people. Connecting people more deeply to their surroundings and environment is a core message in the work I do. People have lost their connection with nature over many years. The more you sit in the environment and connect, the more you understand the animals, the connections and how that whole system works. I think people need to get back to connect to the special spot they live on so they can connect to the wider Country. It all comes back to protecting our Mother, Mother Nature. Living sustainably means connecting to our Country and our animals and keeping those songlines and stories strong. Our songlines bring everyone together. It’s about listening to our Land and our ancient culture and deepening knowledge and awareness so that everyone can live on this Country with peace and understanding. I’m a strong believer in sharing our culture and sharing it with non-Indigenous people to take some ownership in the culture of our Country and be proud of the culture we have in our Country. There’s more and more truth coming out about our past and the more people get educated, the more we can move forward and make our planet a better place. I bring in dance, art, story-telling, ceremony and regenerative land management practices into the work I do. Within our songlines, there are messages that bring everyone together to strengthen culture and foster health and well-being. Telling stories through pictures or songs crosses over language barriers. It strengthens our interconnections. It’s about bringing everybody together and educating the wider public. That’s what it’s all about. Walking together and working together.