Striving for change: Meet the young Aboriginal leaders making their mark in Bunbury

Sharing stories is an integral part of all cultures. It’s how we learn from mistakes, pass on memories, preserve traditions and celebrate achievements. This National Reconciliation Week, South Western Times journalist Ailish Delaney is shining the spotlight on the stories of nine of Bunbury’s bright Indigenous role models who are leaving their mark on the wider community. From healthcare workers and AFL footballers to artists and school leaders, they are forces to be reckoned with as they strive for change and inspire those around them. Tahlia Bennell, 22 — Artist Balardong Wardandi artist Tahlia Bennell has been surrounded by creativity all her life, and after picking up a paintbrush at age six, she has no plans of putting it down anytime soon. Her father, artist Troy Bennell, taught her everything she knows about art and is one of her inspirations alongside her grandmother. “My grandmother was a part of the Stolen Generation, so I want to educate people about that and keep my culture strong through my work,” she said. “She inspires me in so many things that I do.” For Tahlia, art is a way of connecting to culture, healing and educating others. “Education is the biggest thing for me,” she said. “Each piece of art always has a story behind it and it’s important to share those with others. “Our grandparents won’t be here forever so we have to help build our own stories.” The father-daughter art duo had their sights set on LA last October when they were supposed to travel to the US for a Noongar fashion show for LA Fashion Week, as part of a collaboration with Deadly Denim. Although the pandemic meant the trip could not go ahead, travelling the world and sharing the rich culture of the South West is a passion of Tahlia’s. The talented painter is working on her entries for the Noongar Country exhibition and said she drew inspiration from the landscapes around her and the ocean. “I base a lot of my work off coral, because I like the fact that it is one of the oldest organisms in the world and we’re the oldest culture,” she said. “Culture and coral are linked to me because it faces growing issues with global warming and coral bleaching and our culture has faced issues over time and we almost didn’t have one because of the Stolen Generation.” Jasmine Thompson, 10 — Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School prefect As a young person, stepping up to lead the pack and setting a good example for others can prove a daunting task for some. But for 10-year-old Jasmine Thompson, the chance to be a school prefect was not a challenge to shy away from. Coming from a big family, Jasmine is the second generation to come through the school, and she said her family connection was important to her and played a role in her leadership style. “My mum is a good role model,” she said. “I like to be able to help out the younger kids and welcome people who come through the school.” The Year 6 student enjoys sports like basketball and hopes to one day become a police officer or a vet to follow her passions of helping people and animals. Max Jetta, 28 — South Bunbury Football Club women’s coach A supportive coach is crucial to the confidence of a player new to any sport — a role Max Jetta prides himself on filling. His compassionate leadership style has shaped the lives of many, with Max focusing on cultivating an encouraging environment and strong bond between his players. “The footy club is like a second home to me and I love being able to share that with others,” he said. “I like helping people get better and seeing girls who have never played before come to footy and fall in love with the sport. “Seeing people progress and seeing it in their face when they know they’ve done something well and that I’ve played a part in that is why I love footy.” The camaraderie of football serves as a getaway from more challenging aspects of life, but Max said that is not always the case. Tomorrow’s National Reconciliation Week movie night screening of Adam Goodes’ The Final Quarter will see Max and former West Coast Eagle Lewis Jetta, who played alongside Goodes, host a question and answer session to spotlight racial vilification. Together the cousins will share their experiences and open the discussion on casual racism. “Footy is supposed to be a getaway and it wasn’t like that for Adam,” Max said. “It can sometimes be hard for us to express the impacts or difficult for people to put themselves in our shoes, so hopefully this can help provide some perspective and understanding.” Max hopes to bring a light to racism in sporting clubs and the wider community, as well as spotlight Indigenous talent. “I hope to do a workshop next year with the footy club on racial vilification and then maybe by starting something in the football area it can spread to other clubs and help people understand,” he said. “I want there to be more Indigenous coaches in football. It’s nice that I can show others they can do it because the talent is there.” Skye Carr, 16 — Water Corporation Madalah Scholarship winner Hard work paid off for aspiring plumber Skye Carr, who was this year named one of four recipients of the inaugural Water Corporation Madalah Scholarship for WA. The Year 11 student was recognised for her hard work in April and is now undergoing a traineeship in plumbing, following in the footsteps of a family member. “My uncle is a plumber and I did work experience with him and enjoyed it,” she said. “Working with the traineeship, everyone treated me like family.” Skye said it was an honour to receive the scholarship and to see her work pay off. “The Water Corp went through all the students who applied across the State and chose me, which was pretty cool,” she said. Outside of school, Skye can be found on the football oval as an active member of the Bunbury Bulldogs. “I’ve been playing footy since I was pretty young and I love everything about the community,” she said. “The club is very involving and supportive, and even when you’re playing rival teams, we all work together and it’s great to be a part of.” Taylor Tuhiwai, 11 — Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School student A new student to Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School, Taylor Tuhiwai has found herself developing a stronger connection to culture and said she was enjoying being a part of a tight-knit school community. “I like that our school shows our culture and it doesn’t hold back,” she said. “It helps us learn more about our Aboriginal background and that’s important.” A well-spoken leader, Taylor hopes to be a role model for the other students and lead by example with good teamwork. “I want to become a nurse to help other people like my mum, because she’s sick,” she said. “I like to help others.” A young artist herself, she loves to express her creativity through drawing and art and enjoys the freedom it gives her. Taylor is among the group of students, alongside Jasmine and Joe, who are working on a cultural art project with ECU South West. “It’s cool to do a project like that and leave our mark on the school,” she said. Joe Bradshaw, 11 — Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School student At 11 years old, Joe Bradshaw has his path mapped out and his sights set on a goal. The budding sports star hopes to one day play for the AFL and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Isiah Winder, with dreams of ending up at his favourite team, the West Coast Eagles. Through sports, the Year 6 student has found a supportive community environment and an outlet for his energy. “It’s helped me to learn sportsmanship,” he said. “I watch my team play all the time and they inspire me to be a team player.” Kehaan Lange-McGuire, 16 — Cross Verwijmeren Indigenous Scholarship winner “A connection to culture is important to me.” Those are the words of Bunbury Catholic College student Kehaan Lange-McGuire, who this year was named one of two recipients of the inaugural Cross Verwijmeren Indigenous Scholarship. The Year 11 student is approaching the end of high school and has plans to continue a connection to his Aboriginal culture through higher education. “I’m hoping to study Indigenous culture and work with Indigenous students,” he said. “It’s always been inside of me that it’s something I want to do and I feel like it’s right for me.” A talented artist in his spare time, Kehaan recently entered a piece into the DDR Aboriginal Artwork Competition in Perth and while he didn’t win, he was able to travel to the city this week to view the finalists. “The idea behind it was the different sections represented the different groups of people that are each unique in the own way, and when they come together they create a beautiful world,” he said. He also plays the didgeridoo and said while he knows it’s not from the South West, it helps him connect to culture. “I lived in the Middle East for a while and played it over there and some of the people had never seen one before, so it was great to help spread our culture,” he said. Melissa Miles, 25 — Aboriginal health practitioner Growing up, Melissa Miles always knew she wanted to play a role in bettering the lives of Aboriginal people and her work at South West Aboriginal Medical Service gives her that opportunity. As an Aboriginal health practitioner, Melissa strives to ensure the ongoing provision of the highest standards of care in clinical services and health education with the aim of of improving health outcomes for Aboriginal people of the area. Melissa plays a vital role in working with elders and the South West Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to help close the gap in health outcomes, she said. “I find it rewarding as I learn from the community just as much as they learn from me,” she said. “Not only that my close elders are resting peacefully now and even though I wish they could see me doing my best for our people, I feel so close to them when I yarn with the elders in this community.” While she has always had an interest in working within her culture, Melissa never thought she would make it this far in her career. “I’m hoping to be a positive role model with in the community,” she said. “I’m trying to set an example by coming from nothing to being where I am now. “If a young country woman from Manjimup can do what I am doing anyone can. “Pick the path you want to go down and build as you go along, roads are always under construction. “I want people to be able to feel safe, supported and respected when coming to SWAMS. I hope I am helping to make this happen. “One thing I do wish is having my nannas and pops seeing me accomplish these goals in life.” Isiah Winder, 19 — West Coast Eagles star A West Coast Eagles team only three years removed from its last premiership and still pushing for a finals spot is a difficult side to break into, but Bunbury draftee Isiah Winder impressed enough to make his debut this season, and made an impact too. The 19-year-old honed his craft at the Eaton Boomers, made his league debut for WAFL club Peel Thunder last year before being selected by the Eagles with their first pick in last year’s national draft. And while Winder is playing as a small forward for the club, he has his eyes on a berth in their star-studded midfield, and is using another Aboriginal star as inspiration. “A bloke that plays that midfield and half-forward role is Tim Kelly,” he told the South Western Times during the AFL’s pre-season. “Dom Sheed plays that role as well but I have built a pretty good bond with TK.” Winder made his debut against St Kilda in Round 4 and scored a goal with his first kick, after coming onto the ground as an injury substitute. “I feel like I’m starting to earn a bit of respect from the boys with my training standards and the environment here is really good, so it’s all going well,” he said.

Striving for change: Meet the young Aboriginal leaders making their mark in Bunbury

The No. 1 source of news for every West Australian