In the remote community of Tjuntjuntjara, a cheeky papa (dog) called Tjanpi Tjanpi has done the bolt.
Where could he be hiding?
That's the question that the students of Tjuntjuntjara Remote Community School ask in their new book Yaltji Ngayuku Papa? (Where's My Dog?), which was one of three bilingual books written by First Nations students launched at the Sydney Opera House on Indigenous Literacy Day.
Held every year on the first Wednesday in September, the theme for this year's Indigenous Literacy Day was 'Be a voice for Country'.
Indigenous Literacy Foundation chief executive Ben Bowen said literacy day is their biggest community celebration, with more than 350,000 people watching the livestream from the opera house.
"It's really about getting their voice up front and telling their own stories," he told NITV.
"These communities are doing amazing work, writing their own stories, working in their own languages ...
"We just get to bring them here to celebrate in Sydney on Wangal Country and Gadigal Country and have them sing, celebrate and publish those books."
Indigenous Literacy Day at the Sydney Opera House. Credit: Joseph Mayers/Indigenous Literacy Foundation
They were created during workshops with Gunai author Kirli Saunders and Dharawal visual arts teacher Jaz Corr.
Ngayawanj bagan-nggul, ngayawanj barra barra-unggul (we belong to the land we, we belong to the sea) is a collection of poems and stories in Dhurga and English.
Bagan, barra barra, mirriwarr (The Boys Who Found Their Way), is written by two boys Tyran Uddin and Kayden Wellington.
They meet with animals of the bagan (land), barra barra (sea) and (mirriwarr) sky, who teach them about being on Country, connecting to the land and to each other.
ILF ambassador Anita Heiss says encouraging kids to love words is important.
"The process of bringing those books together teaches our young people how to get their stories on the page, how to be creative, the joy of not only creating, but reading as well," she said.
"I absolutely believe there's a direct link between literacy and sovereignty and self-determination, because when you have literacy and you can read and write in your first language and in the dominant language, then you have capacity to make decisions.
"Without those skills, our people are often relying on non-Indigenous people to make decisions for them in key areas of their lives, and that's not self-determination."
Popstar and actor Jessica Mauboy, also an ILF ambassador, introduced a short film, which takes viewers into three First Nations communities to learn about their unique stories, cultures and languages.
"It's really important for First Nations mob to be involved in something like this and to know that it's their culture, that it's their language and to preserve it," she said.
"To celebrate that is such a wonderful thing and to be a proud voice for Country ...
I learned how to write music by reading and learning words so this is a very close thing to my heart.
Yaltji Ngayuku Papa? (Where’s My Dog?) was produced in a workshop with Scottish writer Stewart Ennis and artist Ange Leech.
Written in English and Pitjantjatjara the book invites readers into the home of the Spinifex people, located in the Great Victoria Desert in Western Australia.
“There are a lot of dogs in Tjuntjuntjara and the children’s dogs all had these fantastic names – Wi-Fi, One-Side, Army Girl, and so on," Stewart Ennis said.
"That was interesting enough, but then they began to draw their dogs, and these dog pictures were so full with character.
"But one of the most important characters in the book is Country itself, so it makes sense that each page of the book is framed by the images of the Tjuntjuntjara red dirt earth.”
ILF chief executive Ben Bowen said this year's theme is a continuation of the practice of culture held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples speaking on behalf of Country as the custodians.
“To 'Be a Proud Voice for Country' is as diverse as the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," he said.
"Some of their stories have been captured on the pages of the three books."
