Noongar culture, language and stories are now firmly embedded in the programming at Perth Festival, where this year’s theme is Djinda (stars). Steve Dow talks with Noongar artists, including Kylie and Clint Bracknell and Ian ‘Moopa’ Wilkes, and Elder Aunty Roma Yibiyung Winmar, about the reclamation of the language and the power of storytelling.

The hero image for Djoondal, the opening event at the 2023 Perth Festival @ Trevor Dobson, Louise Coghill and Jade Foo

The spirit woman Djoondal, with her long white hair, created the Milky Way. In some Dreaming stories, she is a protector, although in other tellings she is an evil figure, befitting a fractured Grimm fairy tale. But in the Noongar legend chosen by Perth Festival’s Artistic Associate,