Ms Doreen Nelson (Jetta)

My Identity and connection to Country

My name is Doreen Nelson (Jetta) and I was born at Kellerberrin, a small country in the Central Wheatbelt area of Noongar Country.  It is situated on the Great Eastern Highway and is about 200 kilometers from Perth.  It’s the traditional country of the Balladong people and the area is surrounded by many fields, salt lakes and hills. There are not many trees and bush in the area because the land has been cleared for farming by the white Settlers in the1800s. However, there are still many birds and animal species around the place, it is the place where I grew up with my family and it will always be considered as my home.

My parents are Patrick and Christine Jetta (nee Yarran). My father was born at New Norcia and my mother was born at Northam. I have eight brothers, and two sisters. Four of our sisters died when they were young due to preventable illnesses that were very common at that time like Gastroenteritis, Measles, and Polio. There are only four members of our family that are still living today, my two older brothers, Bruce and Dennis and my oldest Sister Dorothy.

My family has cultural connections to the Whadjuk, Yuet, and Gnaala Karla Booja areas of Western Australia, but after I was born I was taken back to the Djurin Mission, a Native Reserve about 10 kilometers from the township of Kellerberrin and spent most of my childhood living on Native Reserves around the Balladong Country.

Thank you for watching.

Ms Doreen Nelson (Jetta) Noongar Elder, talks about her life.

 

 

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