YARAAN STEWART-BUNDLE

Yaraan Stewart-Bundle is a Keerray Woorroong and Gunditjmara Whale Dreaming Custodian, with a long connection to Koontapool (Keerray Woorrong language), the Southern Right Whale. Yaraan is a leader of Southern Ocean Protection Embassy Collective (SOPEC) – Gunditjmara First Nations People’s Ocean defenders. 

As a staunch, knowledgeable advocate for ocean protection, including opposing currently-proposed seismic testing in the Southern Ocean, she feels a great responsibility to protect the species.  

“Our song lines are interconnected with sky, land and sea. We’re tied to those creation Songlines as women especially – and directly linked to those song lines,” she says. “Those creation song lines are part of that responsibility. We care for species ranging from bent-wing bats to blue whales. They come and frequent our country at different times of the year. Southern Right Whales calve around our country too.”

Yaraan is also a proud Djiringanj Walbunja Thaua Ngarigo woman with strong ties to Gulaga.

Yaraan will particpate in the Whale Dreaming Panel in the Aunty Alice Moore stage during Giiyong Festival 2025.