Charles Darwin University (CDU) students had the privilege of learning traditional Indigenous craft techniques this month from three visiting Indigenous women from Milingimbi.
Doreen Djanydjay, Beryl Djakala and Lilly Roy from the community of Milingimbi visited CDU to teach students how to collect and prepare traditional Indigenous craft materials as well as demonstrating traditional craft making techniques.
The two-day workshop was made up of students doing a fibre textiles unit as part of their Bachelor of Visual Arts degree as well as vocational and technical education courses in arts and contemporary craft.
The students spent the first day of the workshop out in the bush with the women, who showed them how to collect native pandanas palms then how prepare and dye them using native roots and seeds.
The group then worked on making traditional fishing nets or baskets, using traditional Indigenous coiling and twining techniques.
This is the first time students in this area of study have had access to such a workshop, but judging from the feedback of both students and the women from Milingimbi it won’t be the last.