An important theme that runs through all of the stories from Aboriginal people here is that of reconnection and healing. Visitors learn that, for Aboriginal people in Mitchell, and for the many whose families were taken far away, the Maranoa River is the ‘river of love’ because it runs through the heart of their country. The river is sacred: when people come back to the Yumba, they can swim in the water to clear away any bad spirits and cleanse their soul. Like the family records in the Yumba museum, this helps them to reconnect with their people and their land. The creation story of the Rainbow Serpent, which a guide will explain to the visitor, teaches people to respect the river – not to take too many fish from the water, to swim safely and never go to the river alone.