Presentation from the Waterwheel 2014 Symposium.

1. Words for Water
Tracey M Benson
Waterwheel
World Water Day Symposium 2014
http://geokult.com/projects/words-for-water/

2. Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners of the country
on which I now stand.
Also, I would also like to acknowledge all Indigenous peoples, whose wisdom and
knowledge offer great opportunities for humanity to learn how to be more sustainable
and respectful of the land we inhabit.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the support and encouragement of Te Urutahi
Waikerepuru, Jo Tito, Sharon Atkinson, Lee Joachim, Aretha Briggs and many more
who, by sharing their stories and passion, encouraged me to explore more deeply my
own history and place in the world.

3. Background
Words for Water has evolved from a number of events:
 A residency in NZ – SCANZ2013
 A Jawun secondment with the Yorta Yorta People of the
Goulburn Murray Region
 Conversations about water both online and offline

4. SCANZ2013

5. SCANZ2013
 An artist residency linking art, science, Indigenous
knowledge and the environment.
 This event crystallized many links between my practice,
my values and my need to make sense of my place in
the world.
 At SCANZ2013, I learnt to acknowledge my mountain
and my river, by my Maori guides.

6. SCANZ2013
One of the conversations at SCANZ that really grabbed my interest was about
Wai – Water.
For Maori, Wai means many things, For example:
 Water is classified into categories each based on spiritual and
geographical features.
 Wai has many meanings related to the idea of water as the essence of life.
 Waiora, waimaori, waikino, waimate and waitai - are used to define
concepts for maintaining balance and interconnections between all living
things and processes.
Also, Maori regard the river like a human body, if it becomes sick, it can die.
I remembered the creek we played in as children.
http://www.seakeepers-nz.com/RIVERS/rivermori.html

7. Remembering Scalpland
While thinking about my mountain and my river, I was
reminded of a performance piece from the mid 1990s –
Scalpland.
This performance explored a range of issues related to
place, the body and identity.
A key theme was the changes in the landscape, witnessed
in my suburb Aspley, after living away for a decade.

8. Remembering Scalpland

9. Remembering Scalpland
Maundrell Tce, 1870s

10. Remembering Scalpland – Ancient Paths

11. Yorta Yorta Country
The Yorta Yorta people of southeast Australia are a river people.
Dhungala is the life source and spirit of the Yorta Yorta.
River basins around the world are critical for water resources,
biodiversity and agriculture, but they are facing increasing stresses
due to degradation, overuse and climate change. We must find new,
more integrated solutions that deliver benefits for:
 healthy river ecosystems
 sustainable agriculture
 empowered communities
From (http://www.yynac.com.au/learning_from_indigenous_knowledge.php)

12. Yorta Yorta
From (http://www.yynac.com.au/learning_from_indigenous_knowledge.php)

13. Yielima: On country

14. Echuca

15. Putting it out there...
After spending the day on the paddleboat and seeing the
damage caused by this tourist activity, plus seeing the
river level so low I needed to find a way to bring
together my disparate and desperate thoughts.
Then I had an idea...

16. What were people's words?
Gapu: Yolgnu, Kapi: Pitjanjatjara, Gugu: Wubuy,
Air: Bahasa Indonesian, Wair: Bahasa Sikka, Wada: Myla,
Voda: Russian, Sui: Cantonese, Pani: Hindu, Water: English,
Aqua: Latin, Eau: French, Ma: Arabic,
Agua: Spanish/Portuguese, Nepo: Greek, Wasser: German,
Wai: Maori, Galin: Wiradjuri, Wala: Yorta Yorta, Su: Turkish,
Tubig: Filipino, Vann: Norwegian, Uisce: Irish Gaelic,
Dwr: Welsh, Ilma: Maltese, Vand: Danish,
Vatten: Swedish, Banyu: Javanese, Vesi: Estonian,
Auga: Galician, Ouse: Old English, Av: Kurdish

17. Facebook responses

18. Project description (excerpt)
 Words for water is an exploration into the many aspects of the chemical of
H2O.
 Water makes up over 70 per cent of the human body, it is essential for
sustaining life and has massive social and cultural significance.
 This project seeks to raise awareness of the significance of water to
humanity – its critical importance to our existence: spirituality, culture,
health and ecological sustainability.

19. Tracing the Murray
To create the video over 70 images were collected of the
Murray River, following the river from its source in the
mountains, not far from where I live, to the sea - the
Coorong in South Australia.

20. The Chakra of the Murray - Crown

21. The Chakra of the Murray - Heart

22. The Chakra of the Murray - Base

23. Making Maps for ISMAR

24. Critical issues
If we do not respect and manage water, then our future
sustainability is radically diminished. Some key issues
include:
 Fracking – e.g. Santos in NW NSW
 Changing hydrology – water has lost its way
 Irrigation – impacts downstream
 Runoff of agricultural and manufacturing chemicals into
rivers and oceans

25. Next steps: Wellness
 In many languages the words for water have multiple
meanings – as in the example of Wai.
 In my mother tongue, English, there are also many
words that have a connection to water, which have
disparate meanings – e.g Wellness.
 What are other examples?
 What are the connections to water?

26. Sharing personal stories
As part of the expanding collaborative aspect of Words for
Water, I will be collecting audio and video about water.
The focus is on personal stories and histories of place
You can contribute!
Email me: bytetime@gmail.com

27. Sharing personal stories
As part of the expanding collaborative aspect of Words for
Water, I will be collecting audio and video about water.
The focus is on personal stories and histories of place
You can contribute!
Email me: bytetime@gmail.com

28. Sharing personal stories
As part of the expanding collaborative aspect of Words for
Water, I will be collecting audio and video about water.
The focus is on personal stories and histories of place
You can contribute!
Email me: bytetime@gmail.com

29. Where the river meets the sea
Next stage of Words for Water:
 Returning to Taranaki
 Adding more stories
 Adding your stories :-)

30. Thank you!
Find me online:
 Words for Water project
http://geokult.com/projects/words-for-water/
 www.traceybenson.com
 www.geokult.com
 bytetime@gmail.com
 www.facebook.com/mediakult
 @bytetime on twitter