You can now immerse yourself in rich First Nations creation stories on your phone or tablet.
With funding through our Indigenous Languages and Arts program, the SharingStories Foundation has launched four new eBooks which bring ancient stories to life.
Each eBook is available at no cost and incorporates animations, drone footage, pronunciation guides, songs, dance, photographs and vibrant artwork.
SharingStories worked with the Nyikina, Gija, Bangerang and Jaara communities across the Kimberley regions of Western Australia and Victoria to share rich and culturally diverse stories from custodians living on Country in four communities.
Each story features original language and English:
- Woonyoomboo the Night Heron—from the Nyikina Community of the Western Kimberley region, this is the story of the creation ancestor who brought the Nyikina world into being and left behind language, law, ceremonies, dance, kin and skin relationships.
- Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal: The Frog and Brolga—from the East Kimberley Gija Community, this creation story tells of an event that brought plants, animals and the Gija people into being at the Gawarre (Bungle Bungles).
- The Eagle, the Crow and the Bat—from Victoria comes stories of how these animals have helped to shape their landscape and of how Lalgambook (Mt Franklin) on Jaara Country came to be.
- Dunggula—tells of the formation of the Murray River, in Victoria known to the Bangerang community in Victoria as Dunggula.
This is just one of many projects supported through our Indigenous Languages and Arts program, which funds 21 Indigenous Language Centres and encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to share their cultural knowledge through artistic expression.
Image credit: Senior Jaara cultural custodian Rick Nelson on Jaara Country by Liz Thompson, SharingStories Foundation.
