Highlights and reflections:
A question I was often asked after returning to Australia was, “What was your favourite place or part of your research journey?” To be honest, it’s a very hard question to answer. The diversity of places I visited, and the incredible educators I met along the way, made the whole journey rich and memorable. Choosing a single favourite feels impossible.
Hawai‘i was perhaps the most directly relevant to programs in Australia, with similar colonial timeframes and outstanding educational initiatives that underpin cultural knowledge exchange. There are still many more programs and places there to explore. Mexico was also fascinating and valuable, particularly as it was my first time travelling there, and it revealed a whole range of opportunities for future research.
In reflection, I gained valuable learning from every location. Spending longer in one or two places might have allowed for deeper immersion, but the time I had has only increased my desire to return and reconnect now that I have met people in person and been given valuable leads. Building trust and connection takes time, and for people to share stories with deeper meaning often requires ongoing relationships. My research was only a first step, especially in Hawai‘i, where as I was leaving Kaua‘i and O‘ahu, I was contacted by kapa artists I hadn’t previously met but who had been introduced through people I met on the ground. Because there was already a sense of personal connection and good intentions from face-to-face contact, they were keen to meet — some even offering to share their art practices. I hope to follow this up and return. Even in a short time, I made some lovely connections with educators who generously shared their passion.
The relatively recent colonisation of Hawai‘i, and the resurgence and reformation of cultural knowledge there, has strong parallels with Australian stories. The plants were also the most similar to those found in coastal Northern Territory — many of which grow here, though not necessarily used locally for dye. The process of ink-making for kapa had surprising similarities to my own art practice, developed without prior knowledge of kapa painting. I especially enjoyed the tangible, physical process of making and pounding the kapa cloth, and the rawness of the material itself and becoming aquatinted with the very important plant “Wauke”
The poetic nature of Hawaiian plant stories resonated deeply with my work in Australia. Each important plant is tied to a unique narrative of origin, often involving love, loss, and a profound connection to place. While in the Hawaiian Islands, I recorded 22 interviews (audio, and in some cases video) with educators and artists. Because English is widely spoken there, the process was much easier — and people were articulate, passionate, and willing to share.
My time in Chang Dao, Thailand, with Siriphon was another special highlight. She generously shared her passion as an educator and welcomed me into her indigo fields, where I harvested and processed the plant to create colour — a remarkable experience to be part of.
Another standout was my stay in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, with a wonderful family who ran a home workshop. Their hospitality extended far beyond the formal — I joined them for meals and mezcal, and at the end of my 10-day stay, their youngest son Eric took me on a beautiful hike up the sacred mountain El Picacho. Watching the sun set over the valley, the magic and history of the landscape struck me in a way that is hard to put into words. Eric’s deep commitment to keeping connected to Indigenous knowledge and spirituality gave me great hope, as did the passion I saw in many young people in Mexico.
I learned a great deal from Demetrio Bautista in Teotitlán del Valle and from Elsa in Oaxaca. Mexico’s colonial history has a different scale to Australia’s, and over time, a distinctive merging of Spanish, and Indigenous traditions has evolved into a very much owned and modern identity. The vibrancy, warmth, intertwined cultures, energy, chaos, colour, and unpredictability all resonated with me, but at the same time acknowledge the great troubles that still exist as froms of colonialisation or gentrification continue. I discovered many other areas in Mexico with rich cultural knowledge and plant programs that would be fascinating to explore further and see how this knowledge continues to be strong and valued in the current times.
As you can tell, there were many highlights. It has been a privilege to take this journey — the most challenging part has been writing the report and distilling it all. The audio recordings I made along the way have been invaluable, and I hope they will form the basis of a podcast-style series to share the voices and stories of the people I met. In future, I would consider using translators to reach those with limited English, but overall people were more receptive than I had expected, and they appreciated the chance to tell their stories in their own words. While this written report reflects their experiences through my lens, the audio will allow their voices to be heard more directly, with greater clarity and authenticity.
