When Indigenous culture converges with work

The team at Winyama took a trip to John Curtin Art Gallery to learn about the history of the Carrolup Collection and the camp itself. On this tour, the team heard stories and knowledge of the past history of Winyama’s Junior Cloud Intern Grady Toomath’s grandmother and looked into the life of other Aboriginal children who grew up in the Carrolup Camp. 

This trip to John Curtin Art Gallery provided Grady a chance to share his personal ancestral history with his team members, bringing the team closer. The chance to merge work with culture is not something that is easily done, however, in this case, it was done with a great understanding of further developing the connection between work and cultural learning. We sat down with Grady Toomath to talk about his connection to culture and place, where he shared his ancestral history, what it’s like to be able to merge work and culture as well as developing a deeper understanding through passion and truth-telling.

Connecting to culture and place provides a positive impact on the sense of belonging and identity. The first connections with culture are usually made within the family; they influence the way we see ourselves and what we think is important.

Connecting to culture and place

Map of Carrolup Camp and surrounding towns and roads

Grady is a proud Minang Noongar man from Albany but for the majority of his life he grew up on Whadjuk Noongar land - Perth. Reflecting on his childhood he notes that his family placed great emphasis on cultural experiences.

“I remember as a young kid sitting down painting, making tapping sticks with my nan. I thought it was a chance that lots of people got to do when in fact that was not the case.”

- Grady Toomath.

For Grady, a lot of his lessons were taught in Perth on Whadjuk Noongar land. Grady and his family spent most of their time growing up in Perth due to past historical experiences. 

This connection was developed on a much deeper level through years of being able to sit with Nana and Pop listening to their stories. Like many Indigenous children, Grady was taught how to paint, make tapping sticks, learn past history, and tell stories. This consisted of Grady sitting with his Nanna, where she was able to use her role as an elder to share those cultural lessons. Grady learned how highly important and formative she is 

Past history experiences have shown Grady that it is very important to use those chances to go back to country and learn its history and gain a better understanding of your culture. 

A big hurdle for Grady was that he did not live close to his home in Albany, however, Grady emphasised that “Albany is a place that I always wanted to be there but couldn't  but it feels like it was a place I was meant to be.” 

Sharing ancestral history with the team

Although Winyama is staffed by Traditional Owners, it is important to recognise that each of our team members has their own unique connection to culture and is from different language groups, with different traditions across Australia. Visiting the John Curtin Gallery was a way for the team to learn about Grady's Minang-Noongar history. 

Grady expresses how it feels to be able to share how inspirational his grandmother is and to this day, her stories of the lives that she impacted. This positive impact can be seen through the smiles of people listening and hearing how they have inspired opportunities like this are rare but they are also one in a million and it is beyond special to share such an experience.

This has been something that Grady has grappled with through life and being able to come to an understanding of how much damage and change has been done and why things haven't been seen in an equal way.

A company passionate about community and culture

Cassie Catley (Marketing Officer), Khia Emsile-O’Brien (GIS Intern), Grady Toomath (Junior Cloud Intern), Barry Ugle (IT Support Officer), and Andrew Dowding (Managing Director)

Grady speaks on the importance of being part of a company that is passionate about community and culture. However, being here at Winyama has provided a different perspective and feeling. 

“This comes from each member checking in on you. It is the genuine care about your well-being and going above and beyond that does it for me”.

- Grady Toomath.

Winyama provides openness throughout the team. This openness stems from the practice of not having a standard sick or carers leave policy due to the potential need to take time off for cultural obligations to family and community. This style of practice is a key aspect that allows team members to step away at any given moment for cultural reasons. There is never a moment of the question there is only ever an if you need anything don't hesitate to ask. It is a level of respect and understanding that Grady had never received in past employment. 

What are the benefits of merging work and culture together?

Grady speaks to the fact that the merging of work and culture has brought him so many more opportunities than he ever thought possible. For example, these opportunities include Grady having the chance to go back to country where he got to learn about his culture, being able to travel north where Grady and other team members go camping at MillStream and work closely with the Ranger Groups and spend time on Yindjibarndi country is something Grady never thought he would be able to do.

The continuation of growth through deepening connection to culture and country has contributed to the evolution into what Grady has been part of today and in the past. Though this is the case, past experiences and work provided minimal to no level of satisfaction and never connected with who Grady is as a person. This has made Grady realise how important it is to give back through culture to be able to live and do those things which have brought him a lot of happiness.

One year in highlights to reflect on

A year on it's time to reflect on some of Grady’s highlights. These highlights focus on some exciting trips Grady went on and took part in. 

One of Grady’s highlights looks at the Women's Fireforum which was the first work trip Grady went on. Even though this is a key highlight there was a feeling of pressure, this did crystalise that this role was not just a job. This work felt comforting when it came to seeing that everyone comes together and supports each other seeing female rangers smile and enjoy themselves was a huge standout to Grady. It not only helped him see and feel that he was helping culturally but just being able to help in any way he could give him a sense of gratification.

Another highlight was when Grady obtained his remote pilot license. This in turn gave Grady a new level of responsibility which also gave him the chance to learn and gain a different perspective shadowing training leaders. This highlights not only reflect the work by Grady himself but it also showcases that being able to merge work and culture together provides some key benefits through having a different source of learning culture and being a pathway to further encourage others to follow their dreams. 

‘’If you have a dream you want to reach and the work is enjoyable, you know you are in the right place”. 

If this is what you look for in a workplace, you can find out more about the opportunities at Winyama by visiting our Careers page.