Program connects kids to Noongar language and culture
The City has launched a program that teaches Noongar language and culture to young children and their carers on the Derbal Yerrigan, Riverside Gardens.
The City of Bayswater has launched a program aimed at providing young children and their carers with a better understanding of Noongar language and culture through craft activities held along the Derbal Yerrigan, Riverside Gardens in Bayswater.
Mayor Filomena Piffaretti said the City was fortunate to have Noongar Elder Aunty Tj lead the City’s Songs, Stories and Dance on Country sessions.
“These sessions are a wonderful opportunity for young children and their carers to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of First Nations culture through creative activities using materials found in the natural surrounds of Riverside Gardens,” she said.
“At the end of the program, children and their carers will also have the chance to take part in a performance, enacting a cultural story that shows the natural world and raises awareness of Caring for Country.”
Each session will focus on a few words from the Noongar language and include an activity such as painting stones, learning cultural songs with tapping sticks or creating costumes for the final performance.
The fortnightly sessions run from 19 March to 16 October, 10 to 11am, and are directed at children aged 2 to 5 years old and their carers. Registrations are required for each session, allowing families to drop in when they are available.
Register here
This program has been supported by funding provided by the State Government of Western Australia through the State Library’s Better Beginnings program.
Pictured (L-R): City of Bayswater Deputy Mayor Councillor Elli Petersen-Pik, Noongar Elder Aunty Tj and Councillor Cale Black by the Derbal Yerrigan.