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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-09-07 Daily Xml
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Wild Dog Exhibition

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Will the minister inform the chamber about the official launch of Wild Dog at Tandanya?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for his question and his very longstanding interest, I think from the very start of the time he was a member in this place and before that, in the area of Aboriginal affairs and certainly Aboriginal art and exhibitions.

A short time ago, I was deeply honoured to attend and speak at the official opening of Wild Dog, the premiere held at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute in Adelaide. Wild Dog is an immersive installation and exhibition exploring the importance of one of Australia's most misunderstood but significant cultural symbols: the dingo.

The exhibition that was showing up until the end of last month showcased artistic materials that had been created by artists across communities and across five nations, including the Narungga nation in SA, the Kaurna nation, the Lardil nation in Queensland, the Kaiadilt nation in Queensland and the Bunun nation in Taiwan.

The project, conceived and artistically directed by Kaurna and Narungga artist Jacob Boehme, has been created to preserve and maintain the Wild Dog story. Often regarded as a pest to agriculturalists, the kadli, or dingo, has been and continues to be a significant living figure in Aboriginal cultures and a presence within Australia.

Presented by Tarnanthi, Wild Dog featured renowned artists Jacob Boehme, Sonya Rankine, James Henry, Kaine Sultan-Babij, Tjarutja First Nations Dance Collective, Netta Loogatha, Roxanne Thomas, Aluaiy Kaumakan and Biung Ismahasan, amongst others. The exhibition featured film, animation, puppetry, dance, song and immersive artworks, along with a public program of panels and talks that further explored the themes within the works. There were also school holiday workshops and shadow art and Kaurna night sky talks with people such as University of South Australia astronomy lecturer Paul Curnow.

Leading up to the exhibition, works were held in Point Pearce and Port Adelaide, with local children learning about country and culture from elders. The project included significant work and consultation with elders where, by 2021, an additional extensive consultation with Narungga elders was undertaken at Stenhouse Bay Hall where, I am informed, some 50-plus Narungga elders and community members gathered over the three days to discuss Wild Dog and other related stories.

Simultaneously, consultations with Kaurna elders have been ongoing. Senior Kaurna elders such as Uncle Lewis O'Brien and Aunty Lynette Crocker worked with Jacob to gather, collate and record stories about Kaurna's relationship with the dingo. They explored themes of the dingo's role and significance to Kaurna people in dreaming stories and as a cultural symbol.

I commend the work of Jacob Boehme, the artistic director, who has created this outstanding opportunity and outcome for cultural learning. Jacob's work is a fantastic opportunity for Aboriginal people to tell their own stories in their own way as well as engaging with children to learn important cultural stories that were taken away or have never been taught. It is a significant cultural revival project of stories and knowledge that communities have lost through colonisation, particularly for Kaurna and Narungga.

I am pleased that this project has had such a strong focus on young people and engagement with young people and will continue to educate through a digital online portal that will be accessible in the world.

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