The Avon Valley and Wheatbelt Advocate has sat down and interviewed some key personnel involved in Northam’s new Indigenous Environmental and Interpretive Centre, Bilya Koort Boodja.
Here is our sit down with the Shire of Northam’s executive manager community services Ross Rayson.
AVA: When did the project begin?
Ross: The process started back in 2014 when the original idea came up. It was originally out of Super Towns I believe. Their idea was to develop this centre for social cohesion. They got a concept together and then they submitted a grant to the Federal Government.
AVA: What was the original concept for the centre?
Ross: The original concept had the Aboriginal interpretive concept but also looked at work space for Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management to move into. As we went along that disappeared. All the way along we’ve tried to keep the theme of the Aboriginal culture and the environment and hopefully we have done that.
AVA: What is it going to be used for?
Ross: It’s got a couple of main reasons for being there. One; is a tourist attraction. That’s a big part of it. We want to see it as a national and international tourist attraction. Two; there are opportunities to develop Aboriginal enterprise with people running tours and selling merchandise. We’re working on assisting people by using their image on souvenirs and paying them royalties for doing that. We want to use it as an educational space with an emphasis in the schools to come and do programs. We can see it as an opportunity for corporations to do cultural awareness training through there and also to increase the general community understanding of the Aboriginal culture in this region.
AVA: What can people learn there? What topics are covered?
Ross: The main display is based about the six seasons. There’s a lot about the Aboriginal interpretation of the seasons and the things that happen during them. It discusses hunting, bush medicine and they way they used to live. There’s an interesting yarning circle which has individuals talking about their life. We’ve got sportsmen, we’ve got young people, we’ve got Aboriginal elders. There’s also a sorry space which is a learning opportunity for us all about native welfare which is very sobering in patches. There’s some audio and video from people talking about their experiences. It’s a difficult space but it puts it all into context. It’s a really good insight into Aboriginal culture. You may think you know a bit about it but you come to this a learn a lot more.
AVA: Are there plans to change the exhibition as time goes on?
Ross: We’ve gathered quite a lot of information and done a lot of interviews so the potential is that we will have things on change over. We’re going to gradually gather more information as time goes on. We want it so that when you come back it isn’t the same stuff. We want it to be interchangeable. We want there to be a different experience each time people come.
AVA: How has the Indigenous community been involved?
Ross: When we started to have conversations with the group nearly three years ago we invited everyone along. One meeting we had 30 people and the next meeting we had a different 30 people there. In the end we said, what we want you guys to do is work out who are the family groups and we’ll get representatives from each of them. We got a core group of eight to 10 for our Aboriginal Advisory Group. We met with them every couple of months and as it got closer, every month. Everything that has gone into the centre has had the sign off from them. We’ve worked with them the whole way through; the original design, what they want it to be used for and what they want in it.
AVA: How has the relationship been between the Shire and the elders?
Ross: It was a interesting relationship to start with between the Shire and the Aboriginal community but I think that has gradually turned around. There’s been a lot of work done. They’ve been really willing to get involved and we’ve worked really hard to involve them. There’s a good respect there between the two now.
AVA: What geographical areas does the centre cover?
Ross: This is not just focused on Northam. We are looking at the whole Ballardong community which includes Kellerberrrin and Quairading.
AVA: Are there any other events planned?
Ross: Michelle Winmar the centre coordinator is currently looking at an annual program that will include art exhibitions, artists in residence so people can be in there doing stuff, educational programs. There are facilities for corporate functions. We are going to work in with significant days, NAIDOC, Reconciliation Week and to come extent environmental weeks as well and any other celebrations deemed appropriate by the community.
AVA: What does the Shire hope of achieve out of it all?
Ross: Tourism is one of our big things here, to put Northam on the map as a place to be. We have a commitment to the Aboriginal community as well, to develop enterprise and employment. Ultimately we want to see that we aren’t managing it anymore. We want to get it to a point where it is sustainable and we can hand it over. The Shire is committed to look after it for a period of time. We want it to be self sustaining.
AVA: How can members of the public get involved in the centre?
Ross: We want the community to come out and see it. Council has taken the step to agree that every house hold in the Shire of Northam will get a free family pass in the first year. That gives people the opportunity to see it and then promote it to everyone in the community; all the people you know in Perth get them to come up for the day. We want people to come and see it and understand it. There’s different ideas in the community about what it’s about. We want the whole community to see it and say that this is something special we have in our town and something no one else has got. We want the community to be proud of it.
Stay posted for our interview with local Aboriginal elder Kathy Davis and Bilya Koort Boodja centre coordinator Michelle Winmar.
