INDIGENOUS STORYBOOK

INTRODUCTION
You are about to read the seventh Western Australian Indigenous Storybook – and many say
seven is a lucky number. There are seven days of the week, seven colours of the rainbow,
seven notes on a musical scale, seven seas and seven continents. And although I
could not find any reference to the number seven in Australian Indigenous
culture, seven is considered lucky in the traditional Chinese culture,
where it represents the combination of Yin, Yang and Five Elements Broome • • Derby
(Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth). This combination
is considered as “harmony” in the ideology of
Confucianism.
Harmony - now here is a concept
that we can relate to Australian
Indigenous culture. Throughout
all of our WA Indigenous
Storybooks, we have showcased
many stories that demonstrate
how Australian Aboriginal people
live in harmony with nature
and how harmony and spirituality
are so closely aligned. This edition is
no different. We feature a number of
stories that talk about harmony and
connections to land and culture – like
the Bindi Bindi Dreaming, the Madjitil
Moorna Choir and The Yonga Boys.
However, being a metropolitan focused
edition, this Storybook also emphasises
the harmonies and connections between
people and services, and highlights
the importance of keeping culture
strong in the City. Every story in this
edition is a celebration and the Public
Exmouth •
Carnavon •
Port Hedland •
Karratha •
• Onlsow
• Tom Price
Paraburdoo • • Newman
Gascoyne
Meekatharra •
• Cue
Mt Magnet •
Geraldton •
Perth •
Peel
Bunbury •
Margaret •
River
South
West
Wheatbelt
Great
Southern
Mid-West
• Wiluna
Kimberley
Warburton •
Kununurra •
Goldfields - Esperance
Leonora • • Laverton
• Menzies
• Kalgoorlie
• Norseman
• Ravensthorpe
• Esperance
• Hopetown
• Albany
Pilbara
Health Advocacy Institute of Western Australia, along with our primary funder
Healthway, are very proud of each and every storyteller – not only in this edition but in all editions of our
positively focused and highly valued WA Indigenous Storybook.
Personally, I don’t think we will ever run out of positive stories to showcase in these books. Yet I still see a
need for these types of resources. Let me tell you a story. I was reading a novel recently and I came across this
paragraph: “Hamish stared at the back of the man’s neck. He’d never been this close to an Aboriginal person. In
fact, he’d never even talked to an Aboriginal person before. But Hamish had seen enough on television to draw
his own conclusions – you didn’t have to be an anthropologist to figure it out. Aboriginal communities were
troubled places, full of dysfunctional families; doped-up teens and lazy parents. People who said they wanted to
work but never did. People who claimed they needed housing but didn’t respect it when the government gave
it to them. People who made excuses for themselves, who let bad things happen to their children in the name
of culture. People who took handouts, but no responsibility.” 1 I paused. It was embarrassing to read. As a white
Australian, I was offended. I could only imagine how an Australian Aboriginal person might feel if they read this.
Yet it cemented the reasons why PHAIWA continues to so strongly advocate for the dissemination of positive
stories that are so valuable, appreciated and readily available from our WA Aboriginal communities and people.
I would like to think that Australia is a modern nation of enormous diversity – and one that starts to embrace
and cherish our Aboriginal heritage and culture. This Storybook attempts to do this…we hope you enjoy
reading the stories.
1
Higgins F (2014) Wife on the Run. Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
2