On Thursday 30th January, 2025, children of Aviemore Primary School were at the heart of a special live interaction with Aboriginal Elder, Don Rowlands, one of the keepers of the Dreamtime Stories in Australia and also Ranger in Charge at Munga-Thirri National Park in outback Queensland. The connection was made possible through the new Cùra Earth website at www.curaearth.com and the stories being added to it from across the world.
He is pictured here on a visit to Highland Scotland several years ago, a visit made possible through Heartstone, leading to a contact which has remained to this day and now at the centre of this new project.
Asked about the role and importance of the Dreamtime stories to the Aboriginal people, and the value he sees in being part of the Cura Earth programme, Don said:
‘As an Aboriginal Elder, I understand the profound importance of Dreamtime stories and cultural heritage. Cùra has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to preserving and sharing these invaluable aspects of our culture and highlight the richness of Indigenous traditions, as well as foster a greater understanding and respect within the broader community and around the world.
Dreamtime stories are essential for connecting us to our ancestors, providing wisdom and guidance, and ensuring that our cultural knowledge is passed down to future generations. Cùra Earth is helping to sustain these traditions and promote a sense of pride and resilience among Indigenous Australians. Furthermore, Cùra’s efforts will offer a unique perspective to the global audience, promoting the interconnectedness of all life and inspiring a deeper appreciation for Indigenous cultures worldwide.’
Don was one of the special guests at the Great Glen House Cùra event in August last year, supported by NatureScot, as he had just started working with Heartstone to add an initial three stories to Cùra Earth. Over the subsequent weeks, working with Nick Sidle, the story content took shape.
At the same time, children from Aviemore Primary. pictured below, worked with one of the stories, the Rainbow Serpent creation story, and produced an impressive display of artwork covering many of the species as described in the story together with examples of those found in their own immediate world of Cairngorm National Park. As an acknowledgement of this special piece of work, Heartstone was able to connect the children directly with Don by video link on Thursday 30th, giving them the opportunity to speak to Don as he joined from Munga-Thirri.
Digital artwork/AI Illustration: Rainbow Serpent – ©Nick Sidle
Photograph: Southern Hawker Dragonfly – ©Nick Sidle
Sitakumari, Director and principal dancer/storyteller for Heartstone, opened the event with a performance of extracts from the latest Heartstone dance-drama, ‘Dragonfly’ that presents the story of the lifecycle of the dragonfly, the Southern Hawker species, pictured above, found in Highland which is complemented by the Graphic Flutterer dragonfly in Australia. The Southern Hawker Dragonfly is important as a climate change marker. It is now being seen regularly in the Highlands, previously only recorded much further south, demonstrating the climate really is changing as evidenced by the presence of new species such as this. The full story and connection with climate change is featured on Cùra Earth as another of the ‘Cura Guardian – Feature Stories’.
This event marked the start of a new Cùra project working with Don and his Aboriginal colleagues building to an event in this year’s NAIDOC week, a yearly event in Australia. This will be the first time the link has been made with Scotland for this festival through Cùra Earth. NAIDOC week in 2025 marks a powerful milestone – 50 years of honoring and elevating indigenous voices, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their culture and resilience. This year’s theme includes the next generation, making the Aviemore event even more appropriate to mark a new connection between children and young people on opposite sides of the world through the natural environment.
Don Rowlands said:
‘I was delighted to be part of this first connection with children for the Cùra Guardian stories. Being able to bring the Dreamtime stories to this initiative is an important route for us to to see the stories reach a much wider audience, and in particular children and young people, which is how they will continue benefitting many generations to come. The stories were important to the original Aboriginal peoples and remain important to this day. I am proud to be able to pass on such an important part of our heritage in this way.’
Chenelle McMaster, Acting Headteacher at Aviemore Primary said:
‘We valued the opportunity for our children to be involved in an event celebrating the Cura Guardian stories and to have an insight into cultures across the world. We appreciated Sitakumari’s enthusiasm and passion as she performed a story in dance and then connected us to Australia to meet Don and to hear more about his heritage and connection to the land.’
Sitakumari said:
‘It was an honour to have Don Rowlands join us in Aviemore for this event, which has highlighted the involvement of children in Cùra Guardian. I hope it will be the start of many more interactions made with cultures across the world through this project, which show how we are all connected as humanity, in this case through the natural world.’
TO READ THE STORIES FROM DON ROWLANDS AND SEE MORE OF THE IMAGES, GO TO WWW.CURAEARTH.COM , FEATURE STORIES AND SCROLL DOWN TO ‘OCEANIA’.