Family News Edition 67 Lexi Ward from Aputula and story on pg4 © Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi Aboriginal Corporation “ doing good work with families” Postal: PO Box 8274 Alice Springs NT 0871 Location: 3 Ghan Rd Alice Springs NT 0870 Ph: (08) 8953 4488 Fax: (08) 89534577 Website: www.waltja.org.au Waltja Chairperson 2020ngka ngarangu watjil, watjilpa, tjilura, tjiluru nganampa Waltja tjutaku. Ngurra tjutanya patirringu marrkunutjananya ngurrangka nyinanytjaku wiya tawunukutu ngalya yankutjaku. Tjananya watjanu wiya, ngaanyakuntjaku Waltja kutjupa tjutangku tjana patikutu nyinangi Waltjangku, katjangku, yuntalpanku, tjamuku nyaakuntja wiya. Ngurra purtjingka nyinapaiyi tjutanya, Kapumantaku marrkunu tjananya nyinantjaku ngurrangka Tjanaya watjil watjilpa, nyinangi wiya nganana yuntjurringnyi tawunukatu yankutjaku mangarriku, yultja mantjintjaku Waltjalu? Tjanampa yiyanangi yultja tjuta ngurra winkikutu. Tjana yunparringu ngurra winkinya mangarriku Walytjalu yiyanutjangka. Walytjalu yilta tjananya puntura alpamilaningi. Panya Sharijnlu watjanutjangka. Yanangi warrkana tjutanya ngurra tjutakutu. Youth worker, NDIS, culture anta governance tjuta warrkanarripanya Walytjaku kimiti tjutanyalatju tjungurrikula miitingingka wankangi 12 times Member tjutangku miitingingka wangkangi AGM miitingi. Panya minta kuyangkulampa yangatjunu. AGM miitingi ngaraku March-tjingka (2021-ngngka) Nganana yuntjurrinyi minmya tjutaku ngurra tjutaku. Yukarraku, Ulkumanuku, nganana yuntjurringanyi. Palyaya nyinama ngurrangka Walytja tjuta kunpurringamaya. Palya Nangala. 2020 was a hard year, a sad year for people. The remote communities were locked down and no visiting each other. No shopping in Alice Springs. Everyone was crying for warm clothes and food. Oh we were too busy at Waltja clothes and food everywhere! Sending to every community. The rest of the year we were working with Sharijn to do all the programs, help the workers to go bush. Youth work, NDIS, culture and governance work. The Executive were meeting 12 times. Directors missed out on AGM from that COVID-19 virus. AGM will be in March now 2021 and I want to see all the women from the desert then. Executive Directors Margie Campbell, “Stay safe, and strong, Yes, Palya from Waltja Irene Nangala & Sandra Windy Irene Nangala”. 2 Executive Director Werte my name is Margaret Campbell and I live out at Titjikala community 102 kms south of Alice Springs. Titjikala is a good community. Us women like to go out and collect bush medicine, look for wood to make bush carvings, find gumnuts for bush style jewellery. The men also go out hunting for kangaroos and goannas. I first heard about Waltja when it was based at Elder Street across from Tangentyere many years ago. That was Margie Campbell nearly 24 years ago now. Then I remembered seeing a troop carrier driving around Titjikala and the workers pulled up and talked about having a meeting. They were nice people, and we agreed to have a meeting at the women centre. So once we gathered we talked about looking after family and applying for funding to go towards projects, childcare activities and other good work. I am a Waltja Executive Director and Public Officer. I have regular meetings with the other directors to make decisions about the organization so it runs the right way. I also like meeting new staff and talking to them. Central Australian Women’s Choir, is a passion I like. I first met Morris years ago when he came to Tijikala and we talked at the womens centre and asked if we would like to form a women’s choir. We were more than happy to. Since then the choir has been around many places in Australia and even to Germany and America. “Waltja brings people together to help them think about their children, families, old people, ones with disability, young men and women. We all work together”, Margaret Campbell. Waltja CEO Sharijn King & Sandra Windy 3 Lexi & Home Alone Lexi carving out a snake shape “Home Alone” Community elder Lexi Ward lives at Aputula Community 423kms south of Alice Springs. Lexi’s passion is creating animal carvings out of wood. She looks after lots of dogs at her place. She told a story about a particular dog that was once owned by a man on community who passed away. The dog stayed at the house afterwards for weeks all on its own. Lexi felt sorry for him and decided to adopt the dog. Because the dog didn’t have a name and was all alone at that time, Lexi called the dog Home Alone. From then on Home Alone got so attached she follows Lexi all around the country side and even helps dig out gum roots for Lexi to make carvings. With the sales of her animal carvings Lexi provides food for the lost dogs. She has a lot to feed. 4 Well Done Titjikala! Parrtjima The Tapatjatjaka Art Centre and Titjikala community members deserve heaps of praise for the structures they made for the Parrtjima Festival of Lights. Metal and copper wire waste was used to create huge horse models. The largest was taller than 4 metres and included a stockman riding on top. At night when the internal fairy lights are turned on the horses seem to come alive. Jane, the Tapatjatjaka Coordinator did a magic job! Her team had been working hard for more than 5 weeks and everyone was proud of the final outcome. A particular highlight of the 10 day event was the ‘Language of The Stockman’ where Holden, David, Sammy and Stanley talked about Central Australia’s history. 5 Hakata Cultural Visit Waltja and Children’s Ground teamed up with Eagle Beak and Atitjere families for a special weekend of camping at Hakata Station. More than 40 swags and about 12 tents were packed with plenty of food and activities. It was such a great weekend. Swimming at the rock holes and dams after the recent rain was the best. Cultural activities included making tools and clap sticks, necklaces and bracelets made from native seeds and a yarning circle with the kids talking about skin names and family groups. There were kangaroo tails and bearded dragons cooked on the fire and a big stew for everyone. On the last night there was more rain but not too much! Everyone enjoyed going to this country and seeing the ancient artworks and hearing the stories about their ancestors. CHILDREN’S GROUND IS AN ORGANISATION LED BY ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES. THEIR AIM IS TO CREATE A NEW FUTURE FOR CHILDREN FILLED WITH PROMISE, HOPE AND EMPOWERMENT WWW.CHILDRENSGROUND.ORG.AU 6 7 Helping People With NDIS Hi my name is Rachel Poultara. I work for Waltja for a year now as a Remote Community Connector (RCC). When people come out to Laramba to see any of our community mob about NDIS they get me first. I can talk in my language Anmatjere and help them understand the NDIS. It’s hard you know to think about NDIS in English. People get shy to talk up and maybe they don’t trust new people talking to them. I did my training so I know how to help my people and also government to work together. Yeah, I grew up at Laramba. That’s my home and where my family come from. My kids are grown up now but I have seven grandchildren and one great grandboy. Laramba is a good place and right now the waterholes are full with running water and everyone is enjoying this time. If you want to talk about disability or NDIS you can find me at my house or ask at theAged Care. Yeah, I like working and soon Sharijn is going to get more training for us. I like to be with the other RCC workers from Ti Tree, Atitjere, Bonya, Papunya, Yuelamu, Wilora, Engawala. It’s good working with Waltja and the NDIS workers. See us RCC workers for help. Or ring Waltja and talk to Sharijn to get started on a NDIS plan. Christine Madrell, Atitjere Francis Ross, Ti Tree Kathy Bagot, Yuelamu Suzie Williams, Engawala Isobel Gorey,8 Papunya Irene Reiff, Atitjere NDIS Participants 9 AFLW Interschool Competition DID you know the 1st ever Ltyente Apurte girls team started in 2020 and they made it to the GRAND FINAL and took out second place on the ladder. Congratulations to all the players. Not only did they make it to the finals they also showed their community that the girls are dedicated and determined future leaders for their community, inspiring the younger ones that they too can play footy. Dan Toole, Mac Youth Worker said that he has witnessed “a dramatic shift in the young ladies confidence since taking on the interschool competition”. On game day the girls did not make it easy for St Phillips as Ltyente girls defence was strong and they were always on their players. Santa Teresa’s girls will be back next season and so will all their supporters. 2021 will be their year! 10 Ash Barty Top Tennis Player Ash (Ashley) was born in 1996 to Josie and Robert Barty. Her father is a Ngarigo Indigenous man. Ash grew up in Ipswich. She started working with her longtime coach Jim Joyce at the West Brisbane Tennis Centre at the age of four. Jim said he didn’t train children as young as Ash but made an exception because of her excellent hand-eye coordination and high level of focus. He recalled a moment from their first lesson, saying, “The first ball I threw to her, bang! She hit it right back.” As a child, Ash also practised at home, remembering, “I used to hit the ball against the wall of our living room every day after school, for hours on end.” Since those early days she has been coaching and holding a racket pretty much every day. Ash Barty is ranked Number One in the world for playing singles by the Women’s Tennis Association.