Meet the Author – Jasmine Seymour

Jasmine Seymour is a Darug woman from the Hawkesbury area of NSW. A writer, artist and primary school teacher, she is the author of Cooee Mittigar, which introduces us to the plants, animals and seasons of Darug Country and language; author and artist of Baby Business, about a ceremony to welcome a baby to Country; and illustrator of Family, which shares the importance of family in Aboriginal culture. She’s been nominated for several awards, including the Children’s Book Council of Australia Award.

You can find out more about Jasmine’s books, and purchase them, from Magabala Books. 

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This is an interview I did with Jasmine for Australian Geographic: Explorers, a new magazine for young people who care about the planet.

Do you have a favourite Australian animal?
Sooo hard! I adore the buru, the kangaroo, but I am really a bird woman and my favourite currently is the gang gang, a cockatoo.

Have you ever had a scary experience with an animal?
Many times in the bush at the back of my nana’s place I would come across a red-bellied black snake and nearly tread on it. Very scary!

Do you have a favourite flower?
My flowers are the waratah and the flannel flower, both of which are blooming on Darug country at the moment.

What is a good way for young people to start to connect with the land where they live?
Get out into your backyard, park or national park. Take notice of what you see. All places are special, and by noticing and caring for the small things, we begin to understand the big things – like our collective responsibility to care for Country as it cares for us.

What is a good way for grown-ups to do that?
The place upon which you live, is and always will be an Aboriginal place. Your home is not a separate entity to Country as Aboriginal people see it. We all belong here, and by listening,  acknowledging, and showing compassion to Aboriginal people’s histories and stories, we show that we respect the Country upon which we are privileged to live on.

What’s your favourite thing about being a writer?
I love being able to read my stories to kids. That is absolutely my favourite thing about being a writer. Especially the Indigenous kids at my school where I teach. It has been very special for me to see them enjoy my books.

What’s your favourite thing about being an artist?
Everything! I love creating – even if it does not work out, being an art maker is so much fun. I love colour and texture, and working with these elements makes me feel happy.

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I bought Cooee Mittigar when I was planning the launch of The Swan Maiden, because it’s narrated by Mulgo, the black swan. It’s a stunning book, which introduces readers to the plants, animals and seasons of Darug Country, which spans the Greater Sydney area. Narrated by Mulgo the black swan, it includes some Darug language words, adding an extra dimension to the tender story of connecting to the land. Gorgeously illustrated by Leanne Mulgo Watson, who’s been nominated for a CBCA Award for it, it’s a book to treasure.

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Creative Kids Tales asked Jasmine what inspired Cooee Mittigar…
Leanne and I created Cooee Mittigar because we wanted people to learn about Darug people’s culture and language. The Darug people are the people of the Sydney basin area from the mountains to the sea. Cooee Mittigar is an invitation to come and experience some of its rich Aboriginal geography. The audience is invited to follow along with Mulgo (one of our custodians) on the path of our creation ancestors. We were wanting children to grow up knowing the language of the Darug people. We want to hear it on people’s tongues. Many of the most common Indigenous words that Australians use come from the Darug language.

Where does the name come from?
“Cooee” is the call of the whip bird, Gaawii. It means “Come here”. “Mittigar” means friend. “Cooee Mittigar” means “Come here, friend”. It is a welcome to Country. Cooee is an iconic Australian word, one that international visitors instantly recognise as being Australian. It is an Aboriginal word first. A Darug word first. A greeting call. In the context of the book it is a greeting and a welcome, it is a call to come here and notice this land. This ancient Darug land upon which the Sydney area calls home.

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Jasmine Seymour is a primary school teacher in the Hawkesbury area of NSW, and a published author and artist. She’s a Darug woman and descendant of Maria Lock, who was the daughter of Yarramundi, the Boorooberongal elder who met Governor Phillip on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in 1791. Maria was the first Aboriginal woman to be educated by the Blacktown Native Institute. She was married to carpenter and convict Robert Lock, and their union resulted in thousands of descendants who can all trace their Darug heritage back past Yarramundi. Jasmine is a member of the Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation. It is Jasmine’s wish that through her books, everyone will know that the Darug mob are still here, and still strong.