Ella Noah Bancroft is a visionary artist, writer and proud Bundjalung woman whose work is rooted in Country and community. With ancestral ties to Bundjalung Nation, England, Poland and Scotland, she has become a powerful voice for culture, connection and the reclamation of Indigenous women’s spaces.
In 2018, she founded The Returning, a women’s gathering that has grown into an Indigenous women-led not-for-profit organisation based on Bundjalung Country in Northern NSW. The Returning creates healing for self, community and Country, offering spaces where Indigenous women, Elders and their families can connect with Country, share cultural knowledge, and be recognised for their wisdom.
SIUNO recognises the profound role of plant medicine in Australian Aboriginal traditions and the impact of colonisation on these practices. We donate 1% of profits to The Returning, supporting their mission to foster healing, cultural understanding and sustainable connection to our natural world.
Ella shares her reflections on nature, ritual and what grounds her.
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey to creating The Returning?
I started The Returning in 2018 with a desire to see more diversity within women’s gatherings and wellness spaces. I wanted to come back to Country to lead women’s gatherings in a way that was centred, spiritual and Bundjalung-led.
What does a connection to nature mean to you?
Nature is my god. It’s more of a feeling than something I can explain in words. For me, it’s a belief in something greater, and about building relationships outside of the human hierarchy.
"Nature is my god… it’s more of a feeling, a belief in something greater than me."
What is your favourite scent from nature?
Gum leaves burning on the fire.
What are the best vehicles for human healing?
Water. It cleanses the body and resets our internal and external energy. It’s in us and around us, and it heals. Water reduces pain and inflammation, improves circulation, aids recovery, supports detoxification and lowers cortisol.
Do you have any daily rituals?
Prayer or some form of gratitude practice – reminding myself of my magic and how lucky I am to live and have choices.
What grounds and inspires you?
Fire has been a relation of mine for many years. I have sat by fires my whole life, learning to make them, care for them, protect them and hold them as sacred. Fire teaches me patience, care, attention to detail and protection – and we as a species are the only ones who make fire.
“Fire teaches me patience, care, attention to detail – and we as a species are the only ones who make fire.”
Journey is…
fulfilling when it brings embodied knowledge.
Life is…
remembering our magic and our place in relation to all other beings on this planet.
Ella reminds us that healing is a returning – to Country, to self, and to community.
