Keny Djena Educational Resource
Updated: Mar 9, 2021
A new educational resource featuring a Nyoongar story about the history of Boorloo Perth has been created through a collaboration between Dr Noel Nannup, Alison Nannup, Kamsani Bin Salleh and Lynn Webber.
The resource is called Kany Djena or 'first feet', referring to the Nyoongar people of the south-west of Western Australia, with its story told from a Nyoongar perspective.
The resource tells a series of intertwined stories around the central character of Joobaitch, "a Whadjuk leader from the Beeloo nation who was born at Yulebrook in the mid-1830s on the brink of the British invasion of Boorloo (Perth)".
The story follows the life of Joobaitch, in the form of a six-season cycle, through engaging storytelling, language, artwork and photography, with links to related material and documentation.
As the resource says, "Keny Djena's story draws upon both archival and oral stories, reshaping historical events from a Nyoongar viewpoint. Through this imaginative re-construction and re-enactment of history, Joobaitch and his clan’s perspective of the invasion of their Whadjuk boodjar (country) is heard."
The resource also contains a number of classroom exercises, questions and activities, that teachers can use, related to the different chapters / seasons of the story.
To visit the website, and to contact the team, click here.