It is rare to see NSW Rural artists invited to participate in major exhibitions in the big smoke. We are proud to share that artists from First Nation company “Milan Dhiiyaan” were invited to create a whole room called “Winhangadurinya” for the latest exhibition “UnSettled” at the Australian Museum in Sydney. The “Winhangadurinya” room is a healing and reflection space. When you enter the room you see a circle where you may sit and be surrounded by representations of our ancestral warriors – the four 7 foot tall shields and accompanying spears represent our ancestral warriors past, present and future. They are protecting us. The shields are also carved with stories representing the four and eight skin groupings of Wiradjuri, Wayilwan, Ngiyaampaa & Gamilaraay peoples. As far as we are aware this is the first time that NSW Aboriginal parrying shields have been created of this size and placed into such a unique arrangement representing the healing of our nation. The shields and spears were made by a team of men working with senior Wayilwan craftsman Laurance Magick Dennis and senior Barkandji craftsman Jay Adamson. 

In the centre of the circle are four enormous coolamons containing hand woven native flowers representing the spirits of every child ever born and ever to be born. The giant ancestral warriors represented by the giant shields and spears are protecting our babies and all of our people then, now and forever. Above the babies is the hand-woven mother emu in the sky created by Ngiyampaa Elder Daniella Chedzey and surrounding the emu are four hand-woven representations of shooting stars woven by Wiradjuri Elder Gail Manderson and Senior cultural storyteller of the project Fleur Magick Dennis. 

There are four carved emu eggs hand-carved by Walgett men Glenn Dennis and Laurance Magick Dennis telling the stories of how to create a better Australia that respects First Nations rights and responsibilities to people and Country. As each egg lights up one at a time the four stories are told via a corresponding sound scape that plays a recording of the song cycles and stories to allow visitors to learn, reflect and develop hope and healing for a better future in regards to Australian relationships with First Nations people and lands. 

Visitors to “Unsettled” will learn some of the true history of Australia and this will be confronting and also sad for many visitors. We created the healing and reflection space to assist visitors to emotionally process the truths being told and to help people to feel empowered that we can create a better future for all Australians.