Ancestral grief of the motherline

A heuristic inquiry of transformation

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the experience of ancestral grief of the motherline and the nature of transformation when engaging with practices of reconnection. The research project used the qualitative method of heuristic inquiry to address a topic that is grounded in the personal experience of the researcher as a woman in mid-life and a self-identified culture maker. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five co-researchers. Three contributed additional data in the form of images. The results indicate that ancestral grief is experienced within the body, and that the transformational process of reconnection brings about themes of longing, cultural context, land and lineage, presence, and collaboration. The findings identify loss of connection, the importance of connecting in more embodied ways and developing compassion for the motherline, the importance of land when there is difficulty connecting directly with lineage and gaining clarity of collective purpose.