Ngihr Gawahny – ‘Seasonal Change’ by Pam Brandy Hall ‘Baribunma”
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are proud to release our 2023 Indigenous Range and Jersey - “Ngihr Gawahny’ by Pam Brandy Hall, a proud Bundjalung artist who has drawn inspiration from the Rainbow Serpent and Club for her latest special design.
Introducing the 2023 Bulldogs Indigenous Jersey design:
The design tells the story of the Rainbow Serpent.
“I grew up on an Aboriginal mission and was raised by my grandparents,” artist Pam Brandy Hall said.
“When I was very young, we were subjected to lots of stories about the dream time and what was happening in our community.
“One of the main ones was the Rainbow Serpent, and I particularly remember that story because of how it was explained to me. The Rainbow Serpent was sent to Mother Earth to nurture the land and he did that by navigating his way across the Mother Earth. He created the waterways and once he did that, he rested.”
The jersey design is the story of how the Rainbow Serpent created the waterways, giving people the power to navigate Mother Earth. It is the waterways that first connected us and continue to do so.
Yarning circles sit upon the banks of the rivers that flow across the jersey. The dots in these circles represent the many dialects within each tribe yet show unity as they all come together to meet and share their stories.
The yarning circles represent home and spiritual recharge: a sense of connection and what spiritually energises us.
“It is that feeling of spirit that keeps us coming back to what we do in our lives every day and it keeps us going,” Hall said.
A large handprint - a ‘helping hand’- is central to the design. This represents the guidance from our Elders (past and present), our leaders, those who raised us, and the decision-makers to whom we turn to.
Around the Elders, are the blue symbols that represent all the supporting uncles and aunties in our lives.
They are the ones who are very important to us. They care for us as children, they nurture us, look after us and they have kept these stories alive.
“You have our support, we’re going to be behind you,” said Hall of the helping hand and the aunties and uncles.
“They instil the tools in us to go and navigate life for the future.”
Hall hopes the players will learn from the Rainbow Serpent with the meaning behind these jerseys. The Rainbow Serpent is on the belly of the design to give them all the tools that they need to go forward and navigate not only their season now, but all their seasons into their future both on and off the field.
Bulldogs’ winger Braidon Burns, a proud Gamilaroi man said the jersey was reflective of the team’s cultural undertakings this season:
“In a way, it represents us. We went out to Campbelltown [in the pre-season] and we shared our stories and our cultures.
“We have that hierarchy at the moment at the Club where we have strong leaders, and we are building strong leaders. We have done a lot of work on connection,” he said.
“Seasonal change” was born of the Rainbow Serpent who came along and changed the seasons, brought about connection, and made the waterways. The Bulldogs are on a journey toward building the Club back up together and the players will be reminded of this journey when they wear the 2023 Bulldogs Indigenous Jersey.
“I hope it makes them proud,” Brandy Hall said.
“It certainly makes me very proud to design this for all of you”.
SHOP THE 2023 BULLDOGS INDIGENOUS RANGE NOW.
About the artist: Pam is the granddaughter of the Aboriginal Activist, the late Jack Patten. Entirely self-taught, Pam is inspired by dreamtime stories, passed on to her from her grandmother.
Pam works with vivid combinations of earthy tones, pastels and ochres, dynamic lines and bold shapes characterize her modern designs which often employ graphic symbols from the flora and fauna of her ancestry.
Pam’s skin name is Baribunma meaning ‘to dream about’ in Bundjalung. Her work has been exhibited in locations as diverse as the Museo Internationale della Ceramiche Faenza, S.H. Irvin Gallery and the Rainbow Serpent Gallery in Sydney; the offices of Ansett Australia, Coffs Harbour Hospital, Hunter Valley Wineries and Maitland Council Chambers in NSW; Shepparton Museum in Victoria, Relationships Australia, Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation, Department of Education and OzAboriginal.
Pam’s artwork is depicted on various licensed merchandise which is produced by Australian companies and showcased in museums and gallery retail outlets. Her artwork has been selected to feature in the 2022 and 2023 Aboriginal Calendar which is produced by Browntrout.
Notes: “As a Bundjalung artist, I paint stories about the Dreamtime, myths, Aboriginal survival, land, animals and waterways. I use rich vivid colours, earth tones and traditional style to tell the stories of the Dreamtime, my country and my people."
