Dreamtime stories travel to Canberra

Indigenous elders from Central Australia will perform in Canberra to mark the centenary of the capital, sharing Dreamtime stories that connect the symbolic heart of the nation with its capital.

A group of Indigenous elders from the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara lands of Central Australia will share the Seven Sisters Songlines, which tell of human creation that's steeped in the history of desert cultures and connected with the ancient reading of constellations.

For Fregon elder Inawinchi Williamson such performances go back generations in her family. "Our great, great grandparents know that story and the song. And we learn from them. We learn our culture from our families," said Mr Williamson.

In Aboriginal cultures across Australia, and in other cultures around the world, the Pleiades and Orion star clusters are associated with the story of the Seven Sisters.

Performers hope to share with audiences the importance of ceremonial dance and how it's for all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. "We'd like to teach people about this powerful law and culture of ours," said Ernabella elder, Tjunkaya Tapaya.

The Seven Sisters Songlines stretch for thousands of kilometres across the Australian continent. This work"‘in"‘progress is part of a huge project encompassing many different expressions of the saga, and will reach its finale in 2016.

Producer of the project Helen Healy says they've tried to keep the Canberra performances as authentic as possible and in line with that tradition. "Everything that we're doing they've been doing for thousands of years," said Ms Healy.

Ms Healy is overseeing the more than 60 Indigenous events that make up the Canberra centenary celebrations and believes it's important for all Australians that these traditions stay alive.

"A very, very important part of Australia's future is really understanding and engaging with our past," she said.

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