foundation
the heart of the heart of the flame
napagi napagi give give
In the language of the Central Desert there is a saying, Ngapagi Ngapagi. It’s often translated as reciprocity, but it is more than a give-and-take; it’s give-and-give. A loop of generosity that spirals outwards, a never-ending harmony that sustains all life. It’s a pattern, an echo, a rhythm that resonates across cultures, generations, and all living systems.
This philosophy is at the heart of The VA Network. It shapes everything we do. Our commitment to giving back – to the land, to the people, to the stories themselves – is not a choice, it is a responsibility. A way of ensuring that the threads of connection we braid today remain strong for future generations yet to come.
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We are the ancestors of the future, and we stand at a turning point. It is our obligation, our moral imperative to reimagine our place in the circle of life, not as its centre but gathered around the campfire alongside all creatures of creation. Every action we take, every choice we make, ripples outward, touching lives, shaping ecosystems, and influencing the future.
The survival of life – the animals, plants, rivers, skies, the spirits of our ancestors and lives of our descendants – all depends on our ability to step back into relation, to see the patterns of creation and to live as custodians of the lore. This is what sustainability truly means – not just surviving but thriving in harmony with all that is.
This is the foundation of Us.
It’s not just an idea; it’s a way of being. A return to giving without expectation, to sharing without calculation, to living as part of the whole. Through our work, through the stories we help tell, through the pathways we create for the next seven generation, we are moving toward this way of being. One person, one people, one campfire story at a time.
We are here to tend the fire, to ensure that the stories live on – not as commodities, but as medicine for the world. Being not for profit is not a choice, it is the right way.
For all those who came before us; and all those who will come after.
The VA Network is not for profit organization because the stories we carry are not commodities – they are gifts. They are the whispers of the land, the wisdom of the ancestors, and the threads that weave us back into connection with the world and each other. These stories do not belong to us; they belong to the communities that share them, to the land that holds them, and to the future generations who will one day hear them. To profit from them would be to sever the sacred flow of reciprocity, to break the balance that sustains the very wisdom we seek to honor.
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We are not for profit because this work is not about ownership; it’s about stewardship. It is about creating a space where voices can rise, knowledge can flow, and connections can be rebuilt – not for the benefit of a few, but for the healing of all. When stories are shared, they ignite something far greater than financial gain – they spark transformation. They remind us of our responsibilities, teach us how to live in balance, and inspire real change.
Our mission never was and never will be driven by profit, but by purpose. The work we do – amplifying voices, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering a global understanding of our interconnectedness – cannot and should not be measured by financial gain, nor should it ever be kept behind a paywall. Our purpose goes beyond the bottom line and is rooted in the belief that every story matters, every culture has value, and every community deserves the opportunity to thrive. To give, and to share freely.
Holding the past in our hands protecting what lies ahead.
We are the ancestors of the future
This is our responsibility. Not a choice, not a mission statement, but an obligation to those who will come after us. It’s something I was asked to do, and I’ll spend what remains of my life taking a few steps forward, knowing those who come after will carry it much further than I ever could. That’s the way it works. Each of us just carries our piece for a time.
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This isn’t about beliefs or dogma. It’s about a way of being in the world that knows we are not separate from life, that understands we are woven into a network of relationships stretching back to the first sunrise and forward to the last sunset. It’s about remembering that knowledge isn’t something you own. It’s something you enact. You live it, you carry it, you pass it on stronger than it came to you.
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These ways of being aren’t exclusive to one people. They’re embedded in all cultures, if you dig down deep enough beneath the rubble of forgetting. They sit in the stories, waiting out the centuries of disruption and erasure. They’re still there, under layers of forgetting, like seeds asleep in the soil waiting for rain.
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They’re still here. We can remember. We can mend the broken threads between us and the living world. We can become custodians again. That choice is ours. But know this: our future depends on it. Because if we can’t remember how to walk properly on this earth, to live within our obligations to land, to spirit, to each other, then we’ll keep destroying the very systems that keep us alive. The old people knew this. They tested these ways over deep time, refining them, knowing that every step taken in right relation heals not just the land, but the people and spirits who belong to it.
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The way forward isn’t something we invent. It’s something we remember. It’s already within us. It always has been.
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So come. Sit by this fire. Bring your stories, your ways of seeing, your ways of knowing. Let’s gather and share what we’ve learned from the lands we call home. Let’s look within ourselves and into our ancestral memories for those fragments of the pattern we each carry. And let’s weave them together, in respect and reverence, to create a future I know we all want – one where the diversity of all cultures becomes our strength, and our unity is found in caring for what cares for us.
Giving Back to the Fire That Gives to Us All
The VA Network is built on reciprocity. Stories aren’t just told for the sake of telling. They’re carried, gifted from Country, woven into us through deep time, part of our inherited memory and the fabric of our shared existence. When a story is shared, it carries obligations. It asks us to listen, to act, to give back in whatever way we can.
Every contribution – whether it’s sitting and listening deeply, sharing these stories with others, or offering direct support – fuels this cycle of giving. It ensures that the impact of these stories is not just felt for a moment, but lived into being, becoming part of how we walk in the world.
When you donate, you’re not funding a platform or ticking off charity for the day. You’re investing in the survival of knowledge systems tested over millennia. You’re helping amplify Indigenous voices that hold the keys to balance. You’re supporting community-led storytelling, language revival, environmental restoration, and teaching programs where young ones sit at the feet of their Elders, learning how to walk properly on Country.
Your support builds spaces where culture isn’t frozen in time, but alive and moving, where traditions grow stronger, where stories don’t fade but evolve, guiding us into futures that honour the past.
There are many ways to be part of this movement. You can give directly. You can walk alongside specific projects that speak to your values. You can share these stories so their light reaches places it’s needed most. Because every ember passed on adds to the fire, keeping it burning strong for those yet to come.
So we invite you: stand in relation. Give-give. Help us keep this fire burning. Because what we give to the fire, the fire gives back to us all.
