Native animals will soon help people better understand the connection between Indigenous people and their country.
An immersive experience called Nura Diya, which translates to “this country” in the local Indigenous language, is opening at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
It will combine four unique landscapes: Bura Nura (kangaroo country), Gulamany Nura (koala country), Wuragal Nura (dingo country) and Nguwing Yana (night walk), which will be home to native nocturnal wildlife.
Country is an important term to First Nations people in Australia.
It is the spiritual connection to their ancestral lands, seas and waterways.
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Taronga Conservation Society chief executive Cameron Kerr said the exhibit was a place of celebration.
“We are celebrating two of the most important things to all Australians, and that is our Indigenous culture and our Indigenous wildlife,” Mr Kerr said.
The exhibit also includes Ngununy Nara (food country), a cultural garden created by the team at Wildflower, a First Nations not-for-profit landscaping organisation.
The space was transformed from an old colonial monkey exhibit into a decolonised medical cultural garden that will allow visitors to connect with Indigenous plants that grow on Cammeraygal country.
Alongside the native flora and fauna will be artworks and sculptures designed by Indigenous artist Jacob Nash. Included in the artworks are Angophora trees to honour their connection to Cammeraygal country.
Mr Nash has created mother and child tree-hugger sculptures to encourage visitors to better connect with and understand trees.
NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe spoke of the 10-year history of the project and challenges that come with protecting biodiversity.
“This project is important because it is about connecting people with the animals that we live and share this place with, and that we have a responsibility to care for into the future,” Ms Sharpe said.
The exhibition launch included a welcome to country performance and an acknowledgement by Indigenous students.
It also featured a tour of the night walk and introduction to native wildlife including dingoes.
-AAP
