Responsibility Waan (crow): Holding safety, welcome, and representation in spirit
Published online on July 13, 2026
Abstract
["Geographical Research, Volume 64, Issue 3, August 2026. ", "\nAbstract\nThis article reimagines geographical research through an Indigenous, Country‐centred methodology. Drawing on my doctoral research into Indigenous approaches to weed management along River (Shoalhaven River, New South Wales, Australia), I explore how living methodologies, grounded in relational ethics, spiritual responsibility, and more‐than‐human kinship, can guide ecological restoration and ethical research practice. Centred on the teachings of Waan (Crow), River, and other plant and animal kin, this work engages two primary methods: Travels (dreams) and yarning with Country (relational exchanges with place and more‐than‐human beings). These methods disrupt linear, extractive research logics, privileging reciprocity, patience, and respect for the sovereignty of Country. Five principles, responsibility, representation, listening, safety, and welcome, are examined as living ethics that shape both research design and practice. Through reflexive storytelling and weaving Indigenous and academic knowledge systems, the narrative argues for a reorientation of geography towards approaches that are accountable to Country and more‐than‐human communities. In doing so, it positions all beings as kin, messengers, and indicators, calling for the healing of Mother Earth. This article contributes to debates on Indigenous methodologies, decolonial research ethics, and the role of more‐than‐human sovereignty in geographical inquiry.\n"]