Like many Indigenous words, ‘Kanyini’ describes a complex and intricate meaning that is difficult to translate into English because there is no direct equivalent. As one of the broad topics covered in one of Aunty Munya’s Aboriginal books, ‘Kanyini’ refers to responsibility for all lives and creations and infinite, eternal love.
Kanyini encompasses four core principles and values that underpin the spiritual beliefs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including concepts of family, land, creation, and the spirit. In this guide, we’ll clarify what Kanyini means and explain how understanding the dimensions of the beliefs of First Nations people provides us with an opportunity to offer better acknowledgement and respect.
The Meaning of Kanyini
Kanyini is a core part of Australian Aboriginal spirituality. It is a Pitjantjatjara word that loosely means to support, nurture, protect, and care for the land and others. However, as we have indicated, it goes far beyond that simple explanation. It covers four life principles, which guide how Indigenous people behave, interact, and fulfil their responsibilities and obligations as individuals and as part of their communities.
The four concepts include:
- The Dreamtime, or Creation Period–also referred to as ‘Tjukurrpa’
- The spirit or soul–the ‘Kurunpa’
- Family and kinship systems–or ‘Walytja’
- The Land, as a place, mother, or home–called the ‘Ngura’
Indigenous people apply the principles of Kanyini to almost all aspects of life, believing that their purpose is to live with a boundless love for the land and their people. It influences their position within their community, the way they protect the natural world around them, and how they connect with traditions, story-sharing, and cultural customs.
How Kanyini Applies to Everyday Life
Kanyini is an intrinsic belief system and awareness of the way people feel, belong, and communicate. Alongside other important aspects of Indigenous spirituality, like the Australian Aboriginal creation myth and the Dreaming, it forms a baseline of knowledge and understanding that is widely shared across groups and regions.
Examples include kinship, where communities come together to share wisdom and stories, contribute to the raising of children, and act as one whole where most people hold some level of responsibility to care for others. As a way of being, ‘Kanyini’ means that all things are interconnected.
People approach problems and decision-making from a position of ‘us’ rather than ‘I’, looking at the needs and wishes of the wider community instead of from an individual basis or from the perspective of the immediate family. It also demonstrates the connection between the physical and spiritual self, where enriching knowledge and awareness is just as important to maintaining a healthy, active mind as remaining in good health.
Many Aboriginal and First Nations people believe that all things are animated–including mountains, rivers, animals, and plants–with a life force or essence that should be respected. This belief shows why connection to Country is so important to Indigenous communities and why spiritual customs dictate the way First Nations people interact with the landscapes around them.
The Importance of Kanyini in the Modern World
Aboriginal culture is the oldest in the world and has much to teach us about the way we live and how to find purpose and meaning in our everyday routines. Kanyini tells us that caring for the world around us, without limit, contributes to a more enriched life and helps us embrace an approach where other people and the natural world hold as much relevance and importance as ourselves.
People outside of Indigenous communities are increasingly interested in educating themselves about Kanyini and seeing how it enables communities to create an environment of inclusion, spiritual wellbeing, and nurture, combatting common issues around disconnection and isolation.
Understanding Dadirri in the Practise of Kanyini
Dadirri is best compared to meditation as a concept of being still, quiet, and aware, listening to the world around us, and tapping into our inner thoughts and connections. As a form of living wisdom, some Indigenous people practise Dadirri to help them follow the principles of Kanyini, as a separation from the chaos and noise of modern life, and to have the opportunity to reflect, reset, or find balance.
This belief system also places equal importance on connection, prioritising relationships and spirituality over material belongings or the accumulation of wealth. Living with Kanyini enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to approach every aspect of their lives with gratitude and care, entering new environments, situations, or relationships with a sense of purpose and positivity.
