Land and legacy

Ìbà (ìjúbà: to salute or pay homage)

In Yoruba tradition, Ìbà comes first. Before we enter a space, open a gathering or share our work, we pay respect with humility and reverence. Before we speak, we pour. Before we build, we bow to the ground beneath our feet.

Land and custodianship

Ẹlẹ́wà began on the lands of the Gayamaygal and Garigal peoples, on the Northern Beaches of so-called Australia. Their care for that place runs deep. Today the work continues across Sydney, on the lands of the Gadigal and Wangal peoples of the Eora Nation, and the Darug people. We honour the Traditional Custodians of these lands and their ongoing connection to water and soil.

We honour Elders past and present, and the living cultures and Country that speak. Sovereignty was never ceded. Across these lands and across the globe, Indigenous peoples continue to heal and resist in the face of ongoing colonisation. Their wisdom is alive and unbroken.

Legacy and ancestry

To the ancestors, mine and yours, of the many diasporas and of those whose people have always been home: you are the rhythm underfoot and the light that guides our hands. These offerings are for you, and with you.

Ìbà àwọn aṣáájú wa.
Homage to those who came before us.

Èṣé.