First Nations cultural awareness board game: Ngundi Bala-Dhu?

Ngandhi Bala-Dhu? (Who Am I?)  is all about celebrating and engaging with First Nations culture and history. Its creator, Wiradjuri artist Will Carter, describes it as ‘an interactive passport to engaging timelines and meaningful conversations.’ 

Carter intended the game to foster open discussion and encourage players to ‘explore their roles within the realm of Aboriginal cultural awareness.’  

Carter first thought the game could work as a Wiradjuri language teaching tool, but found it was too complex. Instead, he developed it as a workplace training tool: a new, fun way of teaching complicated concepts and sparking challenging discussions. 

Ngandhi Bala-Dhu? promotes empathy and understanding. Sitting down and playing together helps players understand each other, and themselves, and learn about each other's backgrounds. People who have limited knowledge of First Nations history and culture can learn from examples and are challenged to think about the world through someone else’s eyes. This game is educational and builds cultural awareness. The game shows the value of First Nations perspectives, and in Will Carter’s own words, ‘shatters misconceptions and embraces truth.’ 

Roll the dice and move around the board. Stop to read cards outlining scenarios and reflect. Some cards move a player backwards, others forwards.  

The winner is the first to land on the butterfly square.  

At the end of the game, players are asked to think about their own identity and what they have learned during the game.