This years Naidoc Week theme 'Because of Her We Can' celebrates the essential role that women have played - and continue to play - as active and significant role models at the community, local, state and national levels.
This NITV Radio podcast celebrates Wathaurung Artist Marlene Gilson.
Aunty Marlene says her biggest influences in her life were her grandmother and mother.
She remembers how her grandmother taught her patterns in the sand and now she knows these patterns were part of her family story.
'Here we are today surviving."
Today Aunty Marlene says she is living in her dream, surrounded by her country, her family and her paintings.
She won her first art award when she was eleven. As a child she grew up in Warrnambool and had to work when she was a teenager, so she missed out on attending art school.
Today she has won three awards including the 2015 People's Choice for the Victorian Indigenous Arts Awards.
As an adult she says it was her daughter Deanne and her husband who encouraged her to pick up a brush and start to paint.
After a few lessons with her daughter she started painting the stories from her grandmother.
"My aim was to put my people back on the map, when people said there wasn’t any of my people left, there being only three left. Here we are today surviving."
Today Aunty Marlene still can't believe that she is telling the stories of her country, the Wathawarru language and the Wathaurung people on canvas.
She says it's through her story telling and art that she has put her people and country back on the map.
Growing up she was told there was no survivors she says "There was three and my Great grandfather was a Wathaurung survivor in the Ballarat area."
"My aim was to put my people back on the map, when people said there wasn’t any of my people left, there being only three left. 'Here we are today surviving."
Aunty Marlene says she can't believe that she is an artist at her age and offers this as inspiration for the audience.
"If you have a dream just go for it. Everyone can make their dream happen if they want to."
#NAIDOC2018
Wathaurung artist Marlene Gilson in her art space. Source: Barry Gilson
