Nikita’s art captures ‘many colours’ of ongoing Salvo ministry
- kirranicolle
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BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
This weekend, corps around the nation will mark Aboriginal Sunday. Annually, Common Grace prepares free resources for churches to use in a gathering on the Sunday before 26 January. The day marks an opportunity for people of faith to pray for justice, stand in solidarity and promote the flourishing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. For more info, see Common Grace.
BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
As we look ahead to Aboriginal Sunday, we are celebrating the recent unveiling of a new Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) truck, which features an Indigenous artwork. The truck, titled ‘Allira’, is set to service the Victorian region around Swan Hill.
Australian Aboriginal artist Nikita Moore, who lives on Wemba Wemba and Wadi Wadi country in Swan Hill, painted the piece, which she titled ‘Parnbandilla’, or ‘shine in many colours’.
Nikita is the artist behind Yemurraki Art. Yemurraki (ye-mur-raki) means Dreamtime.
Nikita was raised with involvement in The Salvation Army, which she says was an overwhelmingly positive part of her life and that of the local community.
The truck is named in honour of Allira Fry, Aboriginal and Torres Islander Engagement Worker at Swan Hill Corps, who Nikita says has built a great deal of trust and connection in the community since her appointment.
Nikita says the painting was inspired by the care shown by The Salvation Army towards her and her family in the wake of her father’s recent death. She says Allira, as well as Corps Officer Major Robert Champion and wife Wendy, all supported her family through their grief, even giving the eulogy at her father’s funeral.
She says she wanted to offer a gift as a way of thanking them, and so she donated some posters of her art to display at the church.
One of these posters was of ‘Parnbandilla’, which she had painted as a way to process her father’s death. With Salvationist grandparents, The Salvation Army was a core part of Nikita’s early life. Her nieces and nephews still attend corps events, and Nikita herself attended corps meetings, Sunday school and Salvo-run youth events growing up, and her aunt also worked alongside The Salvation Army as part of the Wemba Wemba Local Aboriginal Land Council.
“They would collaborate [on] a lot of youth stuff in the Indigenous community,” Nikita says. “It was really lovely. It was a good childhood.”
She says The Salvation Army and the Wamba Wamba LALC organised swimming days, youth camps and other activities for young people in her community.
“When I was growing up, even though it was hard back in the 80s and 90s – boring town, not much to do, still a lot of different stigmas around Indigenous people – [The Salvation Army ran] activities and they were speaking about the Lord,” she says. “The [painting] I gifted and chose for the truck was to bring back that memory of the community always shining.
“That was only due to having an Aboriginal worker alongside the Salvation Army, I believe, because they bridged that gap.”
She says now in the community, lots of people are still facing hard times, and the presence of Allira, Robert and Wendy is bringing the light reflected in ‘Parnbandilla’ to the community. She says she often hears community members refer one another to the corps for food assistance or care.
“People are speaking about [them],” she says. “They have done magnificent work to support everyone in need. They do what they can to help and support, even if it’s just a check in or a stop in the street to speak to you. Their hearts are big, and they are a great team.”
You can find more of Nikita’s work here.
Emergency, Aid and Development General Manager Daryl Crowden with representatives from Woolworths who donated to the truck’s purchase, Allira Fry with Corps Officer Major Robert Champion, and crowds gathered at the unveiling ceremony in November. Images: Supplied.
