Aboriginal Australian Totems: Indigenous Caring for Country

"When you talk about totemic systems and totems, each person gets a totem. You might get a bird, you might get a rock but you look after that animal and you read the country to make sure that the people are upholding the country’s lore by being that ranger of being that authority figure because your totem is that.

That’s where it comes into if you look after the country, the country will look after you because we are part of the country and she is a part of us. And the thing is we need the country and the country doesn’t need us. We must always do what we are born to do which is look after the land and in return it will look after us but if we neglect our duties and disrespect we may not have food provided for us."