Sacred stories sacred spaces: a journey into discovery, truth and right relations

Yaama Maliyaa (hello friends), Gayrr Jenn ngay, Gamilaraay ngaya (my name’s Jenn, I am Gamilaraay), The voices and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (past and present) have, like many Indigenous experiences, been hidden in plain sight. We are more often the subjects of and open to interpretation by the voices of white colonial patriarchal authority. This thesis will examine the use and importance of decolonising discourses in the fields of theology and Indigenous studies to understand the contribution of Indigenous voices to the creation of new knowledge and insight. In 2019 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Ministry in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese embarked on a journey towards the creation of a Reconciliation Action Plan. This process has become the catalyst for the groups renewed interest in exploring our shared histories and stories. This research seeks to provide a platform for the previously unheard voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in relation to their experiences within the Catholic Diocese, and to critically analyse this engagement via an innovative methodological approach: the circular methodology. Interviews and yarning were the central methods the project engaged to hear the voices of Indigenous Catholics in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese. The stories will show the power of narrative as methodology, which has supported Indigenous Knowledge systems for over 60,000+ years, along with the use of autoethnography as a tool of reflexivity. This research is grounded on Country and gives voice to Country as Co-author. The utilisation of the Indigenous circular methodology is intended to transform the way we engage in research with First Nations people through a culturally appropriate methodology. This project offers a unique contribution to Indigenous knowledge creation, which reveals the impacts of Catholic colonial approaches, narratives, and strategies, and aims to make a significant contribution to local knowledge and to decolonising Catholicism.