They say strong women raise strong women. My mother and my late Granny are perfect epitomes of strong women and have both taught me different things throughout my life. They are beautiful and powerful in their own ways.
I am Savannah, a 15-year-old artist who styles and paints our dolls. Alongside my mother, Maryanne, we represent our proud Aboriginal culture as Bundjalung women and together, we are Dollies Tribe.
Our story began in 2021 when my mother and grandfather took me back to my great-grandmother’s place of birth, called Baryugil. It was after this spiritual trip that we started what was originally called Jarjumdollies as a hobby that grew into so much more.
Dollies Tribe is dedicated to my late granny Peggy Jarrett-Green (Kapeen). Peggy was a strong and proud Bundjalung woman who grew up on the Clarence River in Baryulgil. She called me Dollie, and I was her Jarjum, a Bundjalung word meaning child or children. I have the greatest love for her. She raised my mum to be the strong woman she is today, supporting everything I do. This is how my parents are raising me: to embrace and be proud of my Aboriginal and Turkish heritage.
Receiving unconditional love from my parents, family & friends and gaining inspiration from my mentor, Kylie Captain and her book, ‘DREAM BIG & Imagine the What If,’ I am striving to be the best version of myself.
Our Dolls
We believe the colour of our skin, hair, or eyes does not define Aboriginality. It lives deep within our hearts and souls and is passed down from generations that came before us. It is sacred, and we have a responsibility to continue to keep our culture alive and strong. Dollies Tribe represents our beauty, strength and diversity that deserves to be celebrated.
Our Impact
A beautiful worldwide phenomenon is the celebration of different cultures. Diversity is beautiful, and we are proud to represent our culture, community, beauty, strength, connection, and Identity through our dolls. Our impact allows for the diversity of our First Nations peoples to be seen in something as simple as a doll so that we can genuinely feel valued and visible.
Dollies Tribe use EAN-13 barcodes from Barcodes Australia.
