FROM THE ARCHIVES | CAN.ORG
2 min
The Carers of Everything
Uncle Noel Nannup
Uncle Noel Nannup says the Derbarl Yerrigan is so beautiful, it's not fair to pick a favourite place... but if he had to, it would be Dyoondalup.
Western Australia's first Governor James Stirling named the area Point Walter in honour of his brother, but to Noongar people it's Dyoondalup – the place of the spirit woman's long white hair.
Uncle Noel points to the sandbar of white sand in the river – her hair. He then throws a handful of sand into the water, letting the Waugul, the dreamtime serpent, know he's there.
"The energy here is really special to me. I can find myself here charging up my batteries. I love the place. It is so therapeutic. All your troubles and woes pale into insignificance. It's just marvellous."
Uncle Noel is a natural and gifted storyteller. He loves nothing more than being able to share the traditional stories of this land.
It's something he's been doing constantly since retiring from his days as a park ranger.
Uncle Noel was the first Aboriginal Park Ranger in Australia. He spent eleven years working all over Western Australia, mapping Dreaming trails, songlines and teaching others to conserve culture.
Such is respect for his preservation and sharing of cultural knowledge, in 2003 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Murdoch University.
In 2006, Dr Nannup took all of the stories and knowledge he'd been told over the years and published a book called The Carers of Everything.
It's a Nyitting or Dreaming story that explains how humans were given the responsibility to care for the country and all of its creatures. He sees it as his responsibility to share this knowledge with future generations so they can find their totem.
"What I see as my legacy is the youngsters that I have worked with over the years, whether it's been in the schools programs or as a mentor, so they understand life better; they know that they're never alone – there's always an ancestor with them."
Uncle Noel sits beneath the kwel (sheoak) trees and listens to them speak.
"Our DNA is in those trees. That's the connection. We shed our skin as we walk across land. Those trees take it up. It's the tree of names, and in the wind, if you know how to tune in, you'll hear the voice of every person who's ever lived."
Written by Michelle White
Produced by Community Arts Network during the Ngaluk Waangkiny project.
can.org.au/ngaluk-waangkiny
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