Keys To Our Country

Portraits of Aboriginal Australians who are educating the broader community about Aboriginal culture. Presented at Deloitte Melbourne in NAIDOC Week 2018 and exhibited for 10 months at their visitor centre. Raised funds for Yalari.

Purpose:

o    Acknowledge Aboriginal Australians who are teaching the broader community more about Aboriginal Culture through their work.

o    Inspire positive conversations about Aboriginal Culture

o    Raise funds for Aboriginal Education – for Yalari

Reconciliation is a complex equation.  On one side is recognition of the past and on the other is the construction of a strong future.  A shared understanding of the strengths of both cultures is the basis of that future.  Before we can build we need to understand what we have. 

“Culture is central to the lives of Indigenous Australians and is a key factor in improving and maintaining wellbeing. It shapes Indigenous identity, linking people to their community and country.”                (Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet 2017)

Many Australians are aware that the history of 'terra nullius' we were taught is wrong and that our indigenous people remain largely unacknowledged - but what to do about it in our day to day lives?  Education is the place to start.  In order to build relationships we need to understand.  To understand we must first learn.  Only then can we combine our strengths and build a stronger future.

My work for twenty years as a communication facilitator, focused on persuasive communication, has taught me that recognition and common understanding are the keys to issue resolution.  I focus on the desired outcome, not on the problem.  Earlier this year I was running 'Influence without Authority' workshops for the VET Development Centre in Melbourne and later that week for CSIRO in Canberra and an acknowledgement of the elders of the nations on whose land we gathered was given at each. We could relate to this so much more if we understood more about the peoples of those nations.  Then we could align our objectives, giving the welcome more tangible value.

Bruce Pascoe in his book Dark Emu shows clear evidence to dispel the myth of indigenous Australians as hunter gatherers. He shines a light on the sophistication of Aboriginal culture when early explorers arrived, particularly in relation to agriculture.  He stresses the need for ‘encouraging full participation’ to build a stronger future which ‘requires a conversation with Aboriginal people about the future of the country.' (Pascoe B., Dark Emu 2014) To have those conversations we need to learn more about the strengths of Aboriginal culture.  

As an Australian I believe each one of us has a role to play in building a more equitable future. So what could I do?

When Den Fisher who runs Aboriginal Heritage Tours at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne asked me to paint his portrait and events transpired that I did (even though I had never painted a portrait before) I could see that portraiture had power for the individual being painted and power to tell stories.

I realised I could tell the stories of some outstanding individuals, acknowledge them and inspire positive conversations through portraits. I could use art as my contribution to the healing. Art can inspire others to more.

My mission in this project is to inspire conversations that help us all learn more constructive things about Aboriginal Australia today and to connect to our shared past - to learn about it, acknowledge it and build a stronger Australia. I sought outstanding members of the Aboriginal community out and as things got going over the 8 months people started seeking me out. I just rolled with it and kept painting. These are people who are just really good at what they do. People who are helping us all learn more about Aboriginal culture and therefore get a step closer to creating a more equitable future for all Australians. I was assured all through the project that the old people were with me, guiding me and I believe they were. When I wanted to meet Deborah Cheetham - I walked straight into her at the market, when I chose the Bunya Pine to paint with Waverley, it turned out he is of the men of the Bunya Pine, when I went to a painting class Den’s face emerged from the canvas. Coincidences just kept happening and told me I was heading in the right direction. Den Fisher kept on telling me that the Old People were with me, and that felt good. See the portraits here

You can learn more about the project in my Keys To our Country blog.