Anangu Youth Workers’ newsletter Issue 6, September 2007

This newsletter is produced by the Australian Institute of Social Relations, a division of

Artwork by Ethan Dagg, Youth Worker from Pukatja from Worker Artwork by Ethan Dagg, Youth Relationships Australia (SA), for the Department for Families and Communities Contents

Editorial...... 2

Kanpi and ...... 3

Amata...... 4

Iwantja...... 6

Mimili...... 8 The Australian Institute of Social Relations is a division of Pipalyatjara...... 10 Relationships Australia (SA) Kalka...... 10

Finke Desert Race...... 12

Front Cover: Arnold Shilling, Mark ...... 14 Cambell & Clive Wangin enjoying the recently opened youth shed in Commission of Inquiry...... 15 Mimili What’s coming up for Youth Workers?...... 16

Editorial

Welcome to Yungapala Kungkawara! issue six.

This edition celebrates the great work Youth Workers have been doing across the APY lands. At night in many communities, youth sheds are full of young people having fun, playing pool, playing video games and listening to music. It is good to see young people happy. Youth workers across the APY lands have been working hard through holiday programmes, youth shed activities and special activities to help young people feel happy and confident.

Over at Mimili, Charmaine Stewart has done amazing work to get the Youth Shed running. Read the Mimili story to find out more about the great ideas Charmaine has for the Mimili Youth programme.

Congratulations to all the young men who completed the Finke Desert Race this year. The story on the Finke Race tells about the fantastic work Ethan Dagg (Youth Worker – Pukatja), Nick Cleghorn and Harley Staines (Youth Coordinators) did in planning, training and supporting a team of young fellas from across the lands to take on one of the hardest off-road races in the world.

At Iwantja George Cullinan was a great help when the circus came to town. In the school holidays the young people at learnt circus skills from ‘Circosis’ and then put a performance on for the community. Check out the Iwantja story for photos of the amazing acrobatic skills of the kids.

Young people at Amata have had a great school holidays thanks to the hard work of Terry Rankine and Mel Agius. The Amata story talks about the camps and other fun activities that have been happening at Amata.

Out West there have been bike programs at Kunpi, Nyapari and Kalka. While at Pipalyatjara a new youth shed has been opened.

In this edition there is also a story about Faith Thomas and Andrew Collett. These two people will be visiting the APY lands over the next few months as part of the State Government’s ‘Inquiry into sexual abuse of children on the lands’. Read this story to find out more about what this Inquiry is doing.

Page 2 W h a t s h a p p e n i n g a t K a n p i a n d N y a p a r i ?

The Deadly Treadlies visited and Nyapari during the April school holidays. The crew from Deadly Treadlies taught young people how to fix brake cables, straighten spokes, fit new brakes and

Learining how to do repairs

maintain chains. The workshops also taught about safe riding. Lots of bikes from around the community were repaired and can now be used again.

There is also talk of opening a youth shed for the youth of Nyapari and Kanpi. A building has been identified at Nyapari that could be used as a youth shed and the equipment will be ordered.

Thanks to Harley Staines for the story and photographs.

Repairing bikes with the Deadly Treadlies

Deadly Treadlies worker Page 3 Youth Workers Melissa Agius and Terry Rankine returned to Amata for the school holidays. Young people did many exciting things in the holidays including discos, rabbiting and collecting Tjala (honey ants). The youth shed was also open and young people enjoyed using the pool tables and video games.

Youth Workers Terry Rankine, Melissa Agius and son Malik

Coming back from getting tjala (honey ants)

Digging for tjala (honey ants)

Terry eating tjala (honey ants) Top: Enjoying a game of pool. Bottom: Playing video games

Page 4 Page 4 Bush Camping

Young people from Amata also went bush camping at the Angatja Camp, part of Lee Brady’s homeland. People had a great time on this camp, learning about dance and culture from Sam Lyons who danced the Grinding Stone ceremony, visiting significant sites and doing some dancing themselves. At night they slept in swags around a camp fire after having malu wipu (kangaroo tail) and damper for tea.

Thanks to Harley Staines for the story and photographs.

Learning dancing at the camp

Making camp at Angatja

Having fun on the camp

Thanks to Sam and Dani

In the July school holidays two students, Sam Furniss and Dani Williams from Flinders University became DFC volunteers to support the Youth Workers at Amata. Sam and Dani supported the school holiday program by participating in the ‘Youth Shed’ activities and the day programs which included basketball, cricket, softball, football, hunting and collecting honey ants. The youth and children enjoyed the company of Sam and Dani and many wonderful experiences were shared by all involved. Page 5 The Circus Comes to Iwantja Circosis staff - Sarah, Cookie & Kani

The circus came to town at Iwantja this school holidays. Circosis, a circus skills training group from visited Iwantja for 3 days. The kids learnt acrobatic skills, dance routines, walking on stilts, balancing tricks and hoola hoop tricks. They then put on fantastic show for the whole community to show off their new skills. Youth Worker George Cullinan was a great help, helping kids learn tricks and translating English into for the workers from Circosis.

Taking a dive, great acrobatic skills!

Page 6 Having a laugh during the workshop Lisa learns how to walk on stilts

Building a human pyramid Showing off balancing skills!

Page 7 Youth Shed opens in Mimili After a lot of hard work Charmaine Stewart has opened the youth shed at Mimili. It has been a great success, with lots of young people using the shed.

Everyday of the school holidays, people in Mimili could hear the cool music coming from the shed, while inside they saw young people having heaps of fun playing pool and video games. Charmaine and other adults helping out at the shed have spent a lot of time teaching young people about sharing and treating each other with kindness and respect so that the youth shed is a

The Mimili Youth Shed fun and safe place for everyone.

Charmaine has big plans for the youth shed, she has already had a BBQ to raise money for the next school holiday programme and is having meetings with young people to find out what activities they want to do.

Youth worker Charmaine Stewart Page 8 Playing X-Box at Mimili

Video games are popular at the shed

Left - right: Paul Campbell, Toby Ginger, Eddie Edwards and Roland Singer play pool Amata Worker, Artwork by Kirsty Heffernan, Youth Page 9 n E W y o u t h s h e d n o w o p e r a t i n g a t Pipalyatjara

Just before the April school holidays, a new youth shed was set up and opened for the young people at Pipalyatjara. The youth shed is part of the facilities of the Pipalyatjara school. The school has kindly made the shed available to the community youth program. The shed is spacious and it was already equipped with a stage and light system. Over the holidays young people using the shed could use X-Box games, a pool table and watch movies on a drop screen. Community youth worker, Angela Watson, ran the holiday program assisted by some of the senior youth.

Youth worker Angela Watson Thanks to Harley Staines for this story

Kalka Bike Program

The young people of Kalka had a great time during the Easter Bike program. The Broken Spoke Crew taught young people about bike maintenance, riding skills, track building and maintenance. Riders have been practicing their new skills on the bike track at Kalka. Everyone is also looking forward to the re-opening of the youth shed at Kalka. The shed will have new equipment and will be a great place for young people to have fun in.

Thanks to Veronica Burford, MSO Kalka Community and Harley Staines for contributing.

Broken Spoke with the riders from Kalka

Page 10 Racing on the bike track at Kalka

Setting out for a ride from Kalka

Riders showing off their skills

Page 11 Left - Right: Winmati Norris, Amos Frank and Brendan Edwards

They say its one of the hardest off-road races in the world, but that didn’t worry 17 young men from the APY lands. They came from communities all across the lands and their goal was to finish the gruelling two day race. The APY team stood out in their uniforms designed by Ethan Dagg, Youth Worker from Pukatja and Nick Cleghorn, Youth The team wearing specially designed uniforms. Worker Coordinator – DFC. Battling against the sand, the dust, bulldust and a treacherous track 14 out of the 17 team members made it to Finke and back. When asked about this amazing effort, Ethan Dagg said the secret to this success was preparation and training. Ethan Dagg and Nick Cleghorn organised camps leading up to the race, so that riders could have a chance to practice on the track before race day. Ethan competing for his fourth year came 99th, an impressive effort considering the race attracts professionals from all over the world. Ethan is already planning for next year’s race, he hopes more young riders from the APY lands will compete and that he will finish in the top 50 this time!

The riding team: xx Ethan Dagg, Glendin Williams and Phillip Marshall from Pukatja xx Robert Schilling, Brendon Edwards, Malcolm Doolan, Richard Schilling and John Campbell from Mimili xx Murphy Kenny and George Cullinan from Iwantja (Indulkana). xx Amos Frank, Alfred George, Winmarti Morris, Nigel Ken, James Edwards and Hudson Lennon all from Kaltjiti (Fregon) xx Aaron Burdette, a veteran of previous Finke events, from Wataru xx Mark Taylor, from Mintabie xx Bernard Singer, Chair APY

Thanks to Nick Cleghorn and Harley Staines for the story and pictures. Page 12 Getting the bikes ready for the race

Ethan Dagg

Murphy Kenny

John Campbell

Bernard Singer’s car commences the journey from Finke to Alice Springs Page 13

Bernard Singer The young people at Kaltjiti have been enjoying using the youth shed over the school holidays. The pool tables and movies have been a big hit with everyone.

Martha, Manny & Doris enjoy a game of pool

Bradley

From top to bottom: Martha, Manny, Telma & Doris Charlie Rosemary & Vera Rosemary Jonathon & Raypombi

Page 14 On 26 June 2007 the South Australian Parliament established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the sexual abuse of children on the APY Lands. It is part of the Mulligan Inquiry which has been investigating the sexual abuse of South Australian children for the last 3 years.

W h a t w i l l t h e I n q u i r y d o ?

The Inquiry has been asked by the South Australian Parliament to:

xx investigate allegations of sexual abuse of children on the APY Lands.

xx report about sexual abuse of children on the APY Lands. Is there abuse, what sort of abuse and where?

xx report on the effects of sexual abuse on Anangu children and their communities.

xx make recommendations about ways to stop sexual abuse in the future and help those children who have been abused.

The Inquiry must report to the Parliament by the end Left - Right: John Wiley, Kellie Toole, Briony Schultz, Faith Thomas, of this year. Linc Gore and Andrew Collett Everything which is said to the Inquiry is confidential and will not be passed on by the Inquiry in a way that identifies or endangers people who have spoken out. This is very important as many people are scared to come forward and talk about sexual abuse because they fear they will be identified and punished by the person who has abused them or their family.

It is very important that people who have been abused talk to the Inquiry so that the full story can be told to Parliament. Only then can the government take the best step to stop abuse and fix up the harm that it has caused to all those involved.

Contact

If you have been abused and wish to talk to the Inquiry or if you would like more information telephone 1800 258 668.

Who do I talk to?

Faith and Andrew will head the Team which will be visiting the APY Lands. Faith Thomas, was one of the first Aboriginal nurses in . She has worked on the Lands and spent most of her life working for Aboriginal people and communities. Faith says ‘It is time all Aboriginal people stop turning a blind eye and speak up aganist sex abuse. We have to halt it once and for all’.

Andrew Collett, a lawyer, has a long history of working with Aboriginal people, recently he worked on the De Rose Hill Native Title claim. ‘The government will only do this once so we all have to speak up against the sexual abuse of chidren now, to change things for the next generations’ Faith Thomas and Andrew Collett Andrew says. Page 15 Australian Institute of F i l m i n g f o r Y o u t h Social Relations Worker Video Relationships Australia (SA), 49a Renee Johnson will be coming up Orsmond Street, Hindmarsh 5007 for two more trips to do filming for Phone: (08) 8245 8100 the youth worker orientation video. Fax: (08) 8346 7333 In this video youth workers are going to talk about the great work Email: [email protected] they are doing and what they know Online: http://www.socialrelations.edu. about Youth Work. They will also be au/case%20studies/ananguyouth.htm doing some acting to show off their skills and abilities. Department for Families and Communities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services Division, PO Box 280, Marla 5724 Contact: Peter Kay, Manager Substance Misuse and Youth Programs APY Lands Phone: 0428 888 594 Email: [email protected]

Contributions

Email high resolution photos of your Filmmaker Renee Johnson APY Lands youth work activities, with a brief written explanation of each photo, Networking Camp to [email protected] We are hoping to organise a camp for all Youth Workers on the APY Credits lands. This will be a chance for Articles and photographs: Youth Workers to share ideas, learn Harley Staines, Relationships Australia new skills and talk about their (SA) trainers with APY Youth work. Workers and Department for Families Training and Communities Youth Worker Coordinators Over the next few months we are Editorial: Deborah Lockwood & Andrew going to deliver training for Youth Groome Workers studying Certificate III and IV in Youth Work. There will Cover art: Ethan Dagg, Youth Worker be workshops on keeping young from Pukatja children safe, ideas for physical Design: Amy Thornton activites and games to play with young people and managing behaviour in youth sheds. Youth Workers will be completing assessments as they work towards their certificates. Page 16