Our Ngartji - The beginning and the future

Wild Earth Oceania is bringing the old ancient ways into a new world by reinvigorating survival through the lens of one of the oldest cultures in the world.

Mark Koolmatrie, chair of the Tribal Owners of South Australia, serves a dual role as the Indigenous leader of the Wild Earth Oceania Film Festival.

Mark is of the Ngarrindjeri which includes, Ramindjeri, Tangani, Yarlde and Meintangk. Mr Koolmatrie states it also allows him to care for Warki Country and other Lakinyeri of what is seen as Ngarrindjeri peoples.?

"The term Ngartji is a word that describes our totems that are given to us to connect our family, clans, Tribes and the world around us. Our Ngartji is a friend, our protector and our server.?

It is to show connection to Country, our identity of belonging and the responsibilities we have to each other and our Ngartji.

The term Ngartji refers to our individual totems which include animals, plants, fish and other marine life, mammals, and birds, as well as how our totems or Ngartjis connect to protect and serve our land, waters and cosmology - the connecting of a complete system to look after our world.?

My family Ngartjis are the wild dog or keli and the fish called mulloway. My Mother's Ngartji was the seagull or throkeri with my Dad being the wattle tree.

A simplified way of looking at the concept of Ngartji is if we all look after and serve the needs of our Ngartji - ensuring they have fresh clean waters, plant life and other microorganisms to survive, food and protection, and their needs for survival are met - then the whole system is taken care of and the whole environment, cosmology and other Ngartji survive and thrive".

Mark has a Diploma in Indigenous Research at Deakin University and runs indigenous-owned business Kool Trees, which provides cultural tours that educate young and old about his country and his people.?

Having grown up on and around the Raukkan Community on the south-eastern shore of Lake Alexandrina, Mark’s strong Ngarrindjeri heritage ensures he has a mandate to serve and protect the world around, and in him.

Mr. Koolmatrie's rich wisdom that reflects belonging and togetherness, safety and security, nurture and nourishment of all life forms is emblematic of Indigenous culture and history. Preserving this with raw authenticity and through mediums typological of such is imperative to future generations engagement carrying this forward in practice, through deep understanding, and in bringing the old ancient ways into a new world by reinvigorating survival through the lens of one of the oldest cultures in the world.