35 DJAARA IN THE LANDSCAPE Focus 2 aim: we will provide tailored, diverse, and frequent opportunities for Djaara to engage with Djandak Wi and remove participation barriers. Djandak Wi is about Djaara coming together on Djandak, sharing experiences and knowledge, and strengthening our living Culture. Djandak Wi creates relationships, builds bridges, and facilitates connection with ourselves, our communities, our Martinga Guli (Ancestors), and our Djandak. Djandak Wi is a soothing, calming, and healing sensory experience that provides an opportunity for Djaara to begin healing our spirit and to fulfil our Cultural obligation to Djandak. Djaara engagement with Djandak Wi has been sporadic and concentrated on a small (but growing) group of Djaara because of many Djaara living off Djandak, complexities in understanding and applying effective engagement approaches (within the context of highly personal, Culturally complex, and sensitive matters), regulatory barriers (e.g., vaccine mandates, minimum age requirements, and fitness requirements), disconnection from Culture and family, social barriers (e.g., transport, training that is not fit for purpose, and ineffective onboarding processes), health challenges, Djandak Wi planning complexities (e.g., live and changeable burn scheduling), fear or misunderstanding of Djandak Wi, and demanding work-life schedules. Djaara’s participation and leadership in Djandak Wi is key to achieve the vision of conducting Djandak Wi at the right time, in the right way, and in the right place according to what Djandak needs. Some places on Djandak have specific Cultural protocols, rituals, and rites of passage for Djaara, which has implications for the types of Djandak Wi events we deliver at different locations, such as gender specific burns. We will explore how the program can better enable Djaara to adhere to Cultural protocols in Djandak Wi, guided by Djaara Elders and Cultural knowledge holders. In particular, we will focus on increasing engagement with Djaara and First Nations women in Djandak Wi, given their underrepresentation in the fire and emergency management sector (e.g., women represented less than 30% of employment in 2019). “You’re not only healing Country, you’re healing yourself at the same time.” “What I see for our People coming out on burns is about our People coming together.”
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