For Indigenous peoples around the globe, the oral tradition has forever been a vital way of passing on culture, language and tradition. For the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of what is now known as Australia, yarning circles are among the most important ways of perpetuating that oral tradition.

Derived from the old English sailor’s expression of “spinning a yarn,” it refers to the Aboriginal conversational storytelling style of recounting something based on real experience and knowledge. The yarning circle, which long predates colonial Australia, is an important space to share knowledge, learn about Indigenous culture and respectfully build community.

Participants sit in a circle and discuss, creating a safe space where everyone’s contribution is encouraged and allowing the conversation to flow naturally. Yarning circles have been used in Aboriginal communities for thousands of years, safeguarding culture and finding ways to solve problems without conflict.

However, the colonization of Australia led to the outright marginalization and destruction of Indigenous ways of knowing and systems of governance. For the next 200 years, colonial authorities, who saw these practices as primitive, imposed hierarchical systems that prioritized obedience over collaboration.