Our voices. Our ways. Our time. Our spaces.

Climate warnings about the ill-health of the lands, waters and air playing out via extreme bushfires and floods are creating havoc in our environments. We see the loss of biodiversity increasing health risks and all that we know as a society. We believe Indigenous Knowledges play a major role in helping to find solutions to these challenges. As Irene Watson demands, it is imperative Women’s Law, our stories, and sharing our own meanings and functions of the Law specific to women and our various communities are heard again in dominant culture.

“Law” (capital “L”) refers to the laws, customs and protocols of the land set out in the Dreaming as a set of rules or guidelines for every entity to follow as a means of caring for Country. Laws are not changeable by humans. When spelled with a small l, “law” is referring to the imported laws that have come from abroad. For reference, “lore” refers to Knowledges or Traditions passed from generation to generation through story, song and other performative expressions. Law and lore are inter-related and rely on each other, whereas law imposes itself on the land, and on Aboriginal people.

The practice of architecture is diverse in the breadth and approach one can take, from poetic and high-end architecture to socially responsible and Community led (when referenced this way, we are referring specifically to Indigenous Communities). There are so many facets and finding a niche and people who hold similar views to work with, teach and learn from, through the many stages of a career or profession takes time. Especially in a field which has not been an appealing career for Indigenous peoples and particularly women. There is a severe lack of Community to support the diversity of people starting to take up the field of architecture. In our experiences, this started in our education and continued through the early years of our careers. Finding our places in a male dominated, colonial profession has proven challenging.

In response we have turned to our cultures and our families who tell us that matriarchy and female as an approach inherently includes all as they are based on the First Law, Mother’s Law; the earth as Mother of all does not discriminate among her children, creates safe and healthy environments for all entities of Country, and balance between all Laws (including Women’s, Men’s, Country). And so, we are members of a Community of women called Deadly Djurumin.

Deadly Djurumin is a group for Indigenous women who are qualified and work in built environment fields and closely related spatial disciplines. ‘Deadly’, in an Aboriginal context, means awesome or excellent. ‘Djurumin’ means sister in Dharug (a language spoken in the Sydney area), with similar words in surrounding languages. This name was chosen to reflect the intent of the group, which is to support each other as kin, while recognising our individual and collective skills and talents. Established in late 2020 in response to the severe underrepresentation of Indigenous women in spatial disciplines, the group provides a space of support and networking. Founded by Danièle Hromek (Budawang/Yuin spatial designer) and Sarah Lynn Rees (Palawa/Plangermaireener architectural designer), we acknowledge the challenges of being educated in spatial disciplines, where in most cases the content remains colonial and patriarchal. We also recognise the specific responsibilities Indigenous built environment professionals share to their Communities and to Country.

Through Deadly Djurumin, we offer support to those who are undertaking their studies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as those in professional capacities. The group also shares work opportunities, with some members working together already, including Danièle and Sam.

Deadly Djurumin is an opportunity to support each other, grow and lead to hold positions and create opportunities to have Women’s, Mother’s and inevitably Grandmother’s Laws become more visible in our spaces. It is an opportunity to further our education, not only in architecture but also our understanding of culture in a culturally safe environment with people we sense as kin. It is also a way to ensure that other women’s voices, in whichever project we work on, are equally heard.

We have visions of an incredible future for Country and Community and we are excited to see ourselves, our Elders, our Countries reflected in the environments we create. If you are an Indigenous woman educated and working in spatial disciplines, come have a yarn.