Art paves the way for the binding of culture and community in Portarlington
This coming weekend is a celebration and recognition of the connection to our local First Nations communities with the Indigenous Round faceoff between Portarlington Football Netball Club and Anglesea Football Netball Club.
Portarlington FNC is an influential leader in supporting Indigenous communities and being an advocate for inclusivity through embracing and acknowledging the importance of First Nations culture. Their participation in the Indigenous Round is integral to their commitment to creating a connection between the Portarlington and First Nations communities.
Portarlington’s U18s co-coach and senior runner Ryan Shaw, explains how the club puts the community and the centre of everything they do. As they celebrate the club’s history, they feel it is important to reflect on, recognise and embrace the culture of the local Wudawurrung people, past, present, and emerging. “We identify as a community club, not just a football netball club and therefore it’s our policy of inclusivity that led us to welcome everyone in our community,” says Shaw.
In addition to their Indigenous Day, Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremonies, Portarlington FNC senior netballers will wear Indigenous bibs and the U18s, Seniors, and Reserves Football teams will proudly don a custom-designed jumper for this coming Indigenous Round.
This jumper was designed by local artist Chris Delamont, a proud Wiradjuri/Nari Nari man and Portarlington FNC’s Indigenous Advocate. Delamont uses his art to keep his culture, language, and storytelling alive. He says, “Reconciliation is a journey of truth-telling and acknowledgment and the practice of art is an opportunity to educate through cultural symbolism and storytelling”.
The story of the Indigenous jumper starts with “Bunjil the Wedge-tailed Eagle and his place as the creator spirit for the local Wudawurrung people and that he is looking over the Portarlington Demons FNC and its work in creating an inclusive, welcoming club. The centre circle represents the club creating a meeting place and inviting all to join them no matter where you are from or the journey you have taken that all will be welcome,” Delamont describes.
Accompanying this jumper, Shaw, along with several footballers, will wear boots specially decorated in cultural paintings done by local students Kasey (Year 12) and Jess (Year 11) Tattersall. These sisters are proud Yorta Yorta women who, like Delamont, use art to “keep a strong connection to [their] land and [their] people”.
Both Kasey and Jess are talented artists. Kasey designed the cover of their school’s dairy with ‘I Belong with Family’, a piece inspired by “the importance of feeling a sense of belonging within your family”. Jess owns her own local Indigenous Artwork company, @OgArtistryStudio, where she sells both textured and Aboriginal artwork, helping Jess “feel more connected to [her] culture and learn so much at the same time”.
Kasey and Jess strongly believe in the importance of sharing their culture and educating others to help further understanding to work towards a better future for First Nations peoples. The sisters revealed “We are able to present ourselves in a way that could be influential to some people and have a positive impact on others. We get to showcase our amazing culture that is the longest living culture in the world. That is something for any Indigenous person to be proud of. We think it is important because we are helping create a better future, it is important to help educate non-Indigenous people on Indigenous culture so they can have a better understanding. But it's also important so we don’t forget about the incredible history of Australia.”
It is clear the Indigenous round this weekend holds great significance for the community of Portarlington and beyond and is much more than different jumpers and painted boots. “It acknowledges our commitment to the Wudawurrung community and celebrates the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Portarlington FNC and its community,” tells Shaw.
Shaw sends a warm invitation and encourages all to attend the Smoking Ceremony at 9:45am this Saturday 8th July at Portarlington Recreation Reserve.
Author: Nina Hyde (AFL Barwon Communications Intern)
