Teaching our kids about the Wiradjuri culture

Glen Sutherland, a local Wiradjuri man has completed an original artwork for Goodstart Early Learning in Kite Street to hang in the centre.

The artwork is a part of the centre’s creative arts project in both the preschool and kindy rooms. Glen’s artwork was painted in the hope the children can have an understanding of Wiradjuri symbols and that represents the Wiradjuri people.

Glen said, “I created the story about the Wiradjuri people, I don’t call myself and Artist, I call myself a creator and a story teller. The story is about three rivers, the main supply along the rivers for the Wiradjuri people was fish, bush plums - all of that.”

“It’s so important to hand down stories to both non-aboriginal and aboriginal children, it’s important to keep our culture alive.”

“I don’t call myself and Artist, I call myself a creator and a story teller”

Goodstart Early Learning Educator, Annie Sutherland said, “It’s creating awareness about culture with the kids and stemming that in an age appropriate approach to talking about traditional people and the Wiradjuri land that we reside on.”

“I think this will extend the children’s cultural awareness, I love that we are recognising a traditional person from the Wiradjuri country, and I am proud to have a family member of mine begin that understanding and have a representation of my family and my husband’s family for the next generations.

“It’s going to be a talking piece as well, it will start conversations which I think, in the future are really important for children to understand where these people have come from, where they started, and where we need to take this sense of culture, respect and understanding to the future. It definitely starts with the next generation.”

More of Glen’s art can be found on his Facebook page - ‘Gulguma Art’