My artwork ‘’altyerre areme’’ meaning to dream about in my language Arrernte shows the loss of culture First Nations peoples have had to experience due to colonisation and the Stolen Generations but also the bright future that we are dreaming of and bringing it back to life. It shows how strong the culture was pre-colonisation. As well as the loss of everything that we have had to experience since this time. This artwork shows hope in bringing the culture back. It is my dream to not be discriminated against and to bring life back to my culture, so it flourishes again. This would allow future generations can experience the longest-surviving culture in the world. It shows the strength and determination that First Nations peoples possess in bringing back what has been lost and never giving up. The track marks at the bottom symbolise the small gaps in culture that will always be there and the broken pieces in the story that may never be revived. The emu feathers coming out of the weaving in the centre are the culture being shared for everyone to know and share. This is my dream to bring back what we once had without being discriminated against and being a connected society.
Reconciliation means…
As written in the Uluru Statement from the heart ‘’Makarrata is the culmination of our agenda: the coming together after a struggle’’. Reconciliation to me is the coming together of First Nations Australians and non-Indigenous Australians to accept the past and the mistakes that have been made to be able to close the gap of inequality and come together with no segregation or discrimination.
Artist: Ava Muir