Dreaming stories are for all Australians, says Ngarrindjeri businessman

Interest and pride in Aboriginal history and culture explodes when young Aussies hear Dreamtime stories, says Ngarrindjeri businessman David Mallett.

David Mallett holding a woven freshwater turtle, made of sedges by artist Yvonne Koolmatrie and provided by the SA Museum. Picture: Michael Marschall

Young Australians from all backgrounds love hearing Dreamtime stories says Ngarrindjeri man David Mallett.

The stories teach children about universal themes such as being good to one another, avoiding greed and being truthful, said Mr Mallett who will be talking to students at Highgate Primary next week for Reconciliation Week.

“They kids have always got lots of questions,” he said. “They’re always amazed.

“Sometimes the Dreaming is about landmarks and they say ‘really, is that how it happened?’ – but at the end of the day it’s like stories in religion, one doesn’t really know but it’s what the ancestors used to say.”

Mr Mallett has spoken several times at Highgate, which is attended by his son, and he is open to visiting other schools. He runs a project management business called Yanun which he founded after serving in the Defence Force.

He mentors young Indigenous workers in professional services, a sector he said has a big gap in diversity.

Many businesses with Indigenous owners either provided labour intensive services such as roadworks or offered cultural consultancy.

“My business is about the whole scope of project management, it’s not limited to Indigenous issues,” he said.

In partnership with his client companies, he has created career pathways for First Nations people coming out of Year 12, getting them employed while they gain a Certificate IV in project management.

Many of Mr Mallett’s Dreaming stories feature pelicans, which are prolific in the Coorong, lower Murray and lakes.

Visiting the South Australian Museum on Thursday, he was intrigued by a woven freshwater turtle (A69897) made of sedges by Ngarrindjeri artist Yvonne Koolmatrie.

Another Ngarrindjeri man, Chris Wilson, is a leading researcher on the Coorong and was the first Aboriginal person in Australia to achieve a doctorate in archaeology.

Chris Wilson, from Flinders University, the first Aboriginal Australian to be awarded a PhD in Archaeology.

A senior lecturer at Flinders University, Dr Wilson has been appointed chair of the museum’s Aboriginal Partnerships Committee and works in mentoring young Indigenous people in the community and on the repatriation of artefacts.

Last month Dr Wilson received an early career alumni award from Flinders.

He focuses on exploring the intersection between archaeology, heritage and Indigenous experience, looking at Indigenous settlement.

“My work is about sharing the past and benefiting communities I work for and with – Indigenous, local, Australian and global,” he said.