Noongar Nations

John Sara

This painting is a celebration of the survival and resilience of Noongar People, their Land, their Culture and their Heritage and the NAIDOC theme for the year 2020, “ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE”. NAIDOC is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait People and their History.

Noongars are the Aboriginal People who have lived in south west Western Australia for thousands of years, their area is south of Geraldton on the west coast, east to Merredin in the wheatbelt and past Esperance on the south coast. Noongar People were one of the most decimated and oppressed Aboriginal Peoples by European Settlement and Government Policies.

There are fourteen Clan / Language Groups within the Noongar Nation. Not all Noongar People speak the same language and dialect. Because Noongar was originally an oral language, not written there are many different spellings for words and place names. Noongar People believe there are six seasons, they can be long or short and that they are defined by nature rather than by a date on a calendar. The seasons determine the availability of food and water and influence the migration patterns taken by Noongars from area to area.

Aboriginal / Noongar Culture is the oldest living continuing Culture in the World. This Culture is a holistic belief that through mutual care, respect and responsibility for the People, the Land, the Oceans and Waterways, the Solar System, Fire, the Animals and Birds…….. all are intimately interconnected and bound in everlasting union. Noongar Culture is passed from generation to generation by our Elders, our Land, our Language, our Ceremonies, our Song Lines, our Dreamings, our Art, our Dance ……..

Painting and Story by John Sara