History
maitland’s story
“KAYA WANJOO NOONUK”
Hello Welcome Everyone
These words are my traditional Nyoongar language
I am the business owner and operator of Kaarak Dreaming Maitland’s Cultural Tours.
My cultural heritage includes being a proud Aboriginal Nyoongar Balardong marman (man), with strong traditional connections to the Aboriginal peoples from the South West of Western Australia.
My traditional cultural bloodlines are connected to the tribal regions of:
Balardong
Wilman
Kaniyan
See map below
My connection to Boodja (country) runs along an Ancient Dreaming Trail known as a Songline to Aboriginal people.
I live on that Songline in a small town called Dwellingup which is in the tribal region of Wilman, so I call it ‘my country’, and it was my grandfathers’ country before me.
Dwellingup is a sacred spiritual dreaming place, and I am the Nyoongar Elder living there.
Nyoongar people claim traditional connections to country (areas within a place) from their own birthplace, that of their parents, and their grandparents.
My grandfathers were born on Wilman and Kaniyan country, both were very strong Nyoongar marman (men).
My Grandfather Spencer Thorne commanded respect as a spiritual marman (man), who was one of the last to be tribally initiated on Nyoongar country.
My Grandfather Charles Hill was called the King of the Nyoongar people ruling from a town called Burekup in the South West of WA.
My connection to culture is very important to me, and I am currently active in a Nyoongar men’s group. We connect to country through song, dance, and speaking in our native language.
I have a very interesting Newspaper Article about my Grandfather – Charlie Hill. Please click on this link to read.
Spencer Thorne
Charlie Hill
I decided to start a cultural tourism business in my home town of Dwellingup so that I could share my cultural katadjin (knowledge).
It is an important way for me to engage others in Nyoongar katadjin, or understanding. I enjoy taking people with me as we step back in time to explore the ancient ways of my ancestors.
The tourism experiences that I offer are richly steeped in cultural authenticity and include Nyoongar dreaming stories about spiritual beliefs.
One of the spiritual beliefs of Nyoongar people is about animal totems. My spiritual totem is the red-tailed black cockatoo – we call it the Kaarak in Nyoongar language.
Kaarak Dreaming Maitland’s Cultural Tours – my business name is respect for my totem, and for the place where I live.
I wear the red-tailed feathers in my hair or on my hat as respect for my totem the Kaarak. Dwellingup is also home to the red-tailed black cockatoo.
I see them daily and I believe they are my ancestors calling out to me as they fly over my house, and land in the trees.
Kaya Kaarak
What I Do
Art
Aboriginal Artist Nyoongar Culture & Consultancy
Tours
Aboriginal Cultural Tours, Language and Experiences
Ceremonies
Smoking Ceremony
Welcome to Country
Nyoongar Language
Artefacts
Traditional tools and instruments
and Dreaming stories
