"Respecting Our Elders" (NAIDOC 2023)
“Our Ancestors left paintings on the wall for 65,000 years to pass the stories and knowledge to the younger generation today, and to the Elders that pass it onto the younger generation. All handed down from generation to generation. It’s all about respecting our Elders. They're the ones who put the food on the table, the ones who taught us our right and wrongs.”
At the top are cave paintings from a sacred site. They taught us how to go hunting, how to look for animal tracks and water. At the bottom we have a hunter and a gatherer, using the knowledge.
On the sides are circles representing different communities and tribes, all gathered around two tall figures, the Elders. The Elders on each side are looking over the central community: parents and grandparents who are looking over children and grandchildren. All gathered together with the Elders as the Ancestors look over everyone.” - Charlie Chambers Jnr.
