ABSTRACT
Dreaming and ecology intersect constantly, providing a rich understanding of universal and local life. Everything comes out of the earth by Dreaming; everything knows itself, its place, its relationships to other portions of the cosmos. Yarralin people tell us that the earth is alive and constantly giving life, the mother of us all. Individuals of all species know what is going on in the world. They know because they are alive and conscious, capable of knowing, and because they have learned to understand. They know because they pay attention: they take notice of the things which happen or do not happen. From Yarralin people’s perspective, failure to pay attention is either the height of arrogance or gross stupidity. Knowledge is localised, and one of the reasons why Yarralin people feel uncomfortable in a strange environment is that they do not know what is being said; without knowing they cannot respond appropriately.
