'I grew up in Kamilaroi country, the land of the goanna. I grew up bathing in and being sustained by the river system and artesian tracks. I grew up knowing of my Murri heritage, of the old people living in tin huts on the banks of the Mehi, but not of the deep knowledge embedded in land all around; for me, it took many years of different kinds of reading and listening to learn how to pay attention to this knowledge.' (Introduction)