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November 2014 VOLUME 4. NUMBER 2.

DESERT SEVENZ WIN PG. 24

MINING WATARRKA LAND RIGHTS FOOTY FEATS “WIYA” ATTACK

PG. 6 PG. 2 PG. 34 ISSN 1839-5279

page1.indd 1 17/10/2014 9:47:20 AM NEWS

EDITORIAL Land Rights News Central Australia is published by the Central Land Council three times a year. The Central Land Council 27 Stuart Hwy Alice Springs NT 0870 tel: 89516211 www.clc.org.au email [email protected] Contributions are welcome

SUBSCRIPTIONS Land Rights News Central Australia subscriptions are $20 per annum. LRNCA is distributed free to Aboriginal organisations and communities in Central Meet the leaders Australia To subscribe email: [email protected]

ADVERTISING AFTER almost a year of turmoil the nesses.” Community Council and served on the Central Land Council is under new lead- He is well known for the documenta- boards of the NT Grants Commission and Advertise in the only ership. ries Coniston and Aboriginal Rules, as National Indigenous Television (NITV). The CLC delegates elected Yuendu- well as the Bush Mechanics television He is a member of Yuendumu’s Gran- newspaper to reach mu fi lm maker Francis Jupururrla Kelly, series and hopes to combine his new role ites Mine Aff ected Areas Aboriginal Cor- 62, as the new CLC chair at their special with work on fi lms about the stolen gen- poration (GMAAAC) committee, which Aboriginal people meeting in Tennant Creek in July. erations and Olive Pink. uses compensation income for communi- in remote Central A former deputy chair, Mr Kelly said Mr Kelly has been a strong voice in ty benefi t projects. his election cleared the way for the CLC Aboriginal media since 1984. There is He has also been a CLC delegate for Australia...... to once again focus on the needs and as- hardly an Aboriginal media initiative 12 years. Projected publication dates: pirations of Aboriginal people in Central in this part of the world that he has not “I watched and learned a lot from the April 2015, July 2015, Australia. helped to set up or run. Land Council chairmen during those “Members have got to work hand in He currently chairs Pintubi Anmat- years – Mr Breaden, Mr Brown, Mr Book- December 2015. hand with staff to keep this land council jere Warlpiri (PAW) Media and represents ie and Mr Wilyuka,” he said. Advertising rates are strong into the future,” he said. “Togeth- the CLC on the board of Imparja TV, an- "Other leaders who have infl uenced available online at http:// er, we must fi ght for our children to get a other media success story he helped to me were Jupururrla Luther from Laja- good bilingual and bicultural education, start. manu and Jampijinpa Martin from Wil- www.clc.org.au/land-rights- whether they live in outstations, commu- A long apprenticeship in governance lowra. They showed government how we news OR email: media@clc. nities or town. They deserve no less. has prepared Mr Kelly for his current like to work and were always there for org.au OR call 89516211 “I also want us to support outstation leadership role. our people." people to set up and run their own busi- He was president of the Yuendumu Continued on page 7... Long struggle for Yurrkuru pays off THE 22 year battle for justice by the traditional owners of Yurrkuru (Brooks Soak) is over. During a ceremony on 8 September at Yurrkuru near Yuendumu, Indigenous Aff airs Minister Nigel Scullion handed the title to the Yurrkuru Aboriginal Land Trust to Willowra elder and CLC executive member Teddy Long, on behalf of the traditional owner group. The square mile of former crown land surrounded by the Mt Denison pastoral lease includes the sacred site where dingo trapper Fred Brooks was killed by Aboriginal men in 1928, before Mr Long was born. The killing triggered a series of reprisal killings of large numbers of innocent Aboriginal people across the region by Constable George Murray. The raids became known as the Coniston Massacre. “My father explained to me what happened here in the shooting days,” Mr Long said. “He explained every rockhole and soakage where people got shot.” The Aboriginal Land Commissioner recommended the grant of the block in 1992, but the Mt Denison pastoralists bitterly opposed it. “I am happy to have my grandfather’s and father’s country, even though it took a long time,” Mr Long said. “It’s important for ceremony and culture.” Mr Long and the men sang a ngatijiri (budgerigar) song while the women (pictured at right) performed a bandicoot purlapa (song and dance) and presented the Minister with a coolamon and clap sticks. About 80 traditional owners attended the ceremony. “They had to wait a long time for their land but they never They have plans to build a shelter to harvest rain water causing a lot of sadness across our region,” Mr Kelly said. considered giving up,” said CLC chair and Coniston documentary and provide shade for visitors, as well as feature interpretive “It will be good to be able to teach visitors about this place so maker Francis Kelly. materials about the events that led to the massacres. we can make peace with our shared past." Originally, the traditional owners wanted to set up an “Yurrkuru doesn’t only hold deep cultural signifi cance for outstation on the block, but changed their minds because the us but the loss of so many people during the massacres is still More pictures on page 11. soak is an unreliable water source and has been fouled by cattle. 2. November 2014

page 2.indd 1 20/10/2014 3:11:12 PM NEWS A long story July 2005: The Federal govern- ment announced its plans for a nu- Nuke dump dilemma clear waste dump in the NT. Two of the proposed sites were in the CLC THE CLC’s Council meeting at region: Mt Everard and Alcoota Alpururrurlam (Lake Nash) near Harts Range (Atitjere). on 4-5 November will consider the outcome of consultations November 2005: The CLC dele- about a site for a proposed ra- gates resolved: “The CLC strong- dioactive waste management ly opposes the siting of a nuclear facility. waste dump in Central Australia”. CLC chair Francis Kelly Council asked the federal govern- said he would ask the dele- ment to drop its plans for sites in gates to carefully consider the the CLC region. outcome of consultations with traditional owners and aff ect- 2007: The NLC nominated the ed communities. Muckaty site. “After our meeting the fed- eral government still has until April 2012: The Australian par- 10 November to decide wheth- liament passed the second version er it wants to start a nation- of its radioactive waste law. Mt wide nomination process,” he Everard and Alcoota were off its said. list of sites. CLC director David Ross attended a meeting between June 2014: The Northern Land interested traditional owners Council withdrew its nomination and government representa- of a waste dump site on Muckaty tives at the old Tanami Mine Station near Tennant Creek after in September. a High Court challenge by some of A scientist from the Aus- the traditional owners. tralian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and July 2014: CLC delegates found a radiation health expert also out at the Tennant Creek Council spoke. Traditional owners and neighbours meet to discuss a nuclear waste dump in the Tanami. meeting that the federal govern- Mr Ross said traditional ment had given NT land councils owners were frustrated with until 30 September to nominate a the Federal Government’s a nuclear dump site for site in the NT. It was looking for a nomination process for the pro- “A nuclear waste dump is forever, so it’s just not fair more than 10 years be- site that traditional owners want posed nuclear waste dump and to ask people to make such a big decision without a cause it does not want to give freely and that would not with its lack of answers. to store low and medium cause fi ghts among them. “The public servants were un- comprehensive proposal.” David Ross, CLC director level radioactive waste in able to explain many of the details areas where many peo- August 2014: The CLC received we had requested from Industry Act 2012 traditional owners were expected ple live close together. a request for information from a Minister Ian Macfarlane,” he said. to off er a site without knowing the full de- Some believe Australia has a responsi- group of traditional owners in the “For example, people got no details tails of the government’s proposal. bility to manage the nuclear waste of oth- Tanami who had been contacted about how the nuclear waste would be “Yet once a site is nominated tradition- er countries because it exports uranium. by the NT Government about a nu- transported, no clear answers about the al owners can’t change their mind when Former PM Bob Hawke said at this clear waste dump. They asked for long term plans for intermediate level they fi nd out the full story," he said. year’s Garma festival that burying the details about the Federal Govern- waste and no information about the com- “A nuclear waste dump is forever, so world’s nuclear waste was an opportunity ment’s proposal, its benefi ts and its prehensive benefi ts package worth ‘mil- it’s just not fair to ask people to make such for Aboriginal people to "close the gap". risks. lions and millions’ the Minister had prom- a big decision without a comprehensive “In a world facing the threat of glob- ised. No wonder they told us they were proposal.” al warming, we would not only be doing September 2014: The CLC con- dissatisfi ed.” The CLC has told the federal govern- good for the rest of the world," he said. sulted about a possible site but no The meeting instructed the CLC to ment since 2005 that the radioactive waste "We would be doing enormously well nomination was made by the Fed- write back to the Minister for more infor- law did not allow for prior informed con- for Australia.” eral Government’s 30 September mation. sent of the traditional owners. Mr Hawke said he had the support of deadline. NT Chief Minister Adam Mr Ross said under a law called the The Government has been looking for NT Chief Minister, Adam Giles. Giles announced the NT govern- National Radioactive Waste Management ment may nominate its own site. Land Rights Act is under attack... yet again PRIME Minister Tony Abbott ators are taking her advice not Northern and Central land has announced a review of the to back the changes: “This is not councils," she wrote. Aboriginal Land Rights Act. going to happen because they’ve Both land councils say the The review will be part of his got a commitment to the two proposed regulations would government’s plan for northern PUP members in the Territory give the government more Australia, he said after a meet- to make sure they look after the control over Aboriginal land ing with state and territory lead- rights of Indigenous people”. and create confusion and ers in October. Ms Anderson warned the pro- uncertainty for companies His adviser, Warren Mun- posed regulations would weaken seeking land use agreements. dine, has backed the decision, The changes would allow but said a strong case for change Aboriginal corporations to had yet to be made. undertake land council func- Before the federal election, tions such as granting town- the Indigenous Aff airs Minister, ship and other leases and Senator Nigel Scullion, said that agreeing to mining. the Land Rights Act would not Land council powers be changed. He is no longer pre- would be handed to a corpo- pared to repeat his promise. ration without the informed NT Chief Minister, Adam consent of the traditional Giles wants to weaken the Land owners. The corporation Rights Act before the next elec- does not even have to include tion. He says the process for ap- traditional owners. proving development projects on Once the powers are Aboriginal land takes too long. PUP leader Clive Palmer handed over the land coun- The Abbott government is cils could not get them back, also trying for the second time even if the corporation does to bring in new regulations de- the collective authority of tra- not do a good job. And the signed to weaken land councils. ditional owners over big areas Minister could hold land Earlier this year Labor and of their country and would help councils responsible for any the Greens blocked the proposed “only the minister, the Country mistakes the corporation regulations in the Australian Liberal Party and their friends makes. Senate, but the Senate changed in mining, gas and agriculture”. The new rules would force in July. In a strongly worded opinion- land councils to respond to Senator Scullion is working piece in The Australian newspa- applications within three hard to convince the new sen- per she described Mr Scullion as months – not enough time, ators from the Palmer United a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. according to the CLC, to con- Party (PUP) to support the con- “He pretends to be one of us, sult properly and make in- troversial changes. out to provide power to the peo- formed collective decisions. The PUP’s NT leader, Alison ple. But he is not one of us – he Anderson, believes the PUP sen- is out for blood, the blood of the Continued on page 11... November 2014 3.

page 3.indd 1 17/10/2014 9:57:25 AM BUDGET Battle rages against budget pain

MANY cuts to welfare, health and public legal services announced in the federal treasurer Joe Hockey’s April budget are on hold as the government negotiates the changes with a hostile Senate. Some budget measures, such as cuts to welfare for young people, are likely to be abandoned. They would mean severe financial hardship for many young people and their families, as well as more homeless- ness. Aboriginal organisations say the cuts will hurt Indigenous people more than most Australians. For example, more than half of all people using public hospitals are Ab- original, so cutting Territory hospital funding will hit them harder than other Australians. And because one in 10 people on the disability support pension is Aboriginal, tightening eligibility for this pension will affect Aboriginal families more than others. These more general budget cuts would also hurt remote households more because they are already paying much higher prices for most items than city people. Central Australian families would be forced to pay even more for grocer- ies because an increase in the fuel excise would make food and other essentials more expensive. Welfare cuts, combined with an in- crease in the cost of living, would make private housing even less affordable for Aboriginal people living in towns. This is likely to lead to even longer waiting lists for public housing in towns and increase serious overcrowding in re- mote community and town camp houses. Aboriginal controlled health servic- es, such as Central Australian Aborigi- nal Congress, say they will not charge their clients the proposed $7 co-payment, but doing that would cut Congress’s core funding by $1 million. Competing for funding with main- stream organisations to provide services to Aboriginal people is already creating massive extra workloads for Aboriginal organisations struggling to meet the ev- eryday needs of their clients. The Central Australian Aboriginal Congress predicts larger, better re- sourced non Aboriginal organisations will get the money instead. The government says cutting funding to legal service would only affect their law reform and policy activities. But the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service (CAALAS), which doesn’t have a policy section, is concerned that expect- ed funding cuts will instead directly hit its criminal, civil and family practices. CAALAS says it will have to axe its fam- ily law service and cut its civil law work by half.

4. November 2014

page 4.indd 1 17/10/2014 9:57:51 AM BUDGET ‘More on fuel means less on food’ Treasurer Joe Hockey is in charge of the Australian government’s money. He wants to increase fuel excise, a tax on fuel. He caused an outcry when he said the fuel excise won’t hurt poor people as much as rich people because “poor people don’t have cars and those who do don’t drive them very far.” He has apologised for his comment but he still wants to make fuel more expensive (see budget story on p.4). The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that the poor spent a bigger part of their income on fuel than do the rich. LRNCA asked local Aboriginal people how a fuel price rise would affect them.

Ernestine Fly, from an outstation near Ntaria, says she drives her family “everywhere”. “I have to drive up north to pick my partner, daughter and family up from Tara to bring them in for medical appoint- ments here in Alice Springs, then I have to drop them off and drive home,” says Ernestine. “That’s 6-8 hours driving and costs $100 worth of fuel each way. It’s over $2 per litre when you can’t fuel up in town. It would be harder for me if the fuel went up because I have to put more on fuel and less on food and it would be really hard for us mob out bush”.

Adrian and Jessica live at Indulkana: “We came in this weekend for the foot- ball and that’s $100 just to get here. I don’t think Ned Hargraves, an interpreter, travels between Alice that’s true what the Treas- Springs and his home community of Yuendumu.“It’s a way urer said (about a fuel tax different lifestyle between the city and the bush. Peo- not hurting the poor) be- ple like [Hockey] think they know more because they are cause fuel is already ex- wealthy but community people, we don’t think that way. pensive and it will be even The community fuel price is way too high, everything al- harder if it costs more.” ready costs more than anywhere else, stores cost too much. It’s costing too much for fuel, tucker and rent”.

Walter Brown travelled 250km from Nyirrpi to put his brother in law on the bus to Darwin and to do some shopping for the kids “if we can afford it”. “Family have to chuck in $200 David Boko from the Little Sisters town camp says his fam- to pay fuel price. $100 from Nyrripi and $100 ily expects him to chuck in for fuel. at Tilmouth Well. They shouldn’t put the fuel “My brother in law is from Docker River and he is always price up, they should put it down”. asking for fuel. Sometimes we go out to Mutitjulu and Pipalyatjara but mostly we sit down in one place. Stanley Douglas, a community worker from Amata (SA), has come to Alice Springs for a fu- “It’s hard if they put the fuel price up because you can’t just neral at Mt Liebig. “We worried because they put it back now so we driving all the way home get the fuel to go out somewhere and not have any money and then we must come back again when it’s time for the funeral. We travel long distances for food.” too. We get a little food when we get pay but then use the rest on fuel or else rely on other family. We run out of fuel and have to wait for help, sometimes overnight.” November 2014 5.

page 5.indd 1 17/10/2014 11:35:49 AM NEWS Owners say ‘wiya’ to mining at Watarrka

THE NT Government has refused to respect the unani- mous request of Watarrka (Kings Canyon) traditional owners to rule out oil and gas exploration on their land. NT mining minister Wil- lem Westra van Holthe said he would ‘consult’ with tra- ditional owners if the pro- posal goes ahead. “I don’t think it’s good enough just to be consulted,” said local member Alison Anderson. “If he goes ahead against the traditional owners I Who to trust think we should march in droves to Parliament House with Uluru? to show that we’re not going to tolerate that kind of non- THE push to allow mining in Watarrka sense.” National Park has sparked a warning In September the tradi- against an NT government campaign tional owners and Aborigi- to take over Uluru Kata Tjuta Nation- nal members of the joint al Park. management committee “They would absolutely destroy for Watarrka National Park it,” said Alison Anderson a former wrote to the NT government NT parks minister whose electorate after a meeting with Palatine of Namatjira includes both parks. Energy Pty Ltd and NT gov- “They’ve destroyed every other ernment representatives. park. They’ve stripped back all the “We strongly told them Territory parks for money. You’ll see again that we do not want every weed growing in every park”. oil and gas exploration or Since coming to power the CLP mining on Watarrka Nation- government has drastically cut its al Park,” stated the letter, commitment to the joint management signed by 18 traditional own- of NT parks. ers. Last year it suspended the main “As the traditional own- source of employment for Aboriginal ers of this country and joint people in NT parks, the Flexible Em- managers of this park we de- ployment Program (FEP). mand that these licenses not The program paid them for casual be granted.” work such as managing weeds. Traditional owners have repeat- This is the second time in NO VETO RIGHT: Traditional owners dance at the Watarrka handback ceremony in 2012. edly asked the government to bring 14 months traditional own- back the FEP, but 18 months later it ers have written to the NT is no closer to a solution. government asking it not to This has not stopped NT Parks give the company a license. Minister Bess Price from lobbying the The letter follows a meeting with Federal Government for control of Parks Minister Bess Price in May, the World Heritage listed Uluru Kata when they voiced opposition to mining Tjuta National Park, which is jointly in the park for cultural, environmental, managed by traditional owners and social and economic reasons. the federal government. They are still waiting for an answer “Discussions have commenced from the Mines Minister to their let- with the Federal Government about ter from July 2013, which stated: “Ev- how to begin the process of assum- ery person from every family said that ing responsibility,” Ms Price told The they do not want oil and gas activity in Australian. our park. We want this problem to be “This is critical, because we are stopped before it begins”. concerned about the plummeting vis- At the September meeting, park res- itor numbers, and the importance to ident, traditional owner, former CLC the NT economy and indigenous em- chair and joint management committee ployment.” member Kunmanara Breaden told the But CLC Executive and Mutitjulu company that the traditional owners Community Aboriginal Corporation did not want any mining in the park. (MCAC) member Vincent Forrester Aboriginal members of the commit- is wary of the NT government’s track tee were also angry that none of the record: “The Territory government ministers came to the meeting. has always been hostile towards in- “We know that Central Australians digenous people.” from all backgrounds are very con- At a recent meeting at Mutitjulu cerned about the impacts of mining traditional owners and MCAC were on the high cultural and conservation reassured that the Federal Govern- values of the park, as well as the tour- ment could not hand over control ism industry,” said CLC director David Former CLC chair Kunmanara Breaden signs the letter to the government. of their park to the NT government Ross. against the will of the traditional “I call on the NT government to re- Park is not on Aboriginal land. Ms Anderson said Ms Price should owners. spect the unanimous decision of the The jointly managed park is on a be listening to the traditional owners. In 1985, the NT’s Country Liberal traditional owners to put cultural, envi- title known as park freehold. On park “If she’s not listening – and it’s only Party government was so angry about ronmental and tourism interests fi rst.” freehold land traditional owners can 18 months until the next election – she the Federal Government’s handback The park’s traditional owners have only give a non-binding opinion to won’t be the minister, she won’t even be of the park to the traditional owners no power to veto the exploration permit Parks Minister Bess Price. The fi nal elected,” she said. that it pulled out of the joint manage- application because Watarrka National say is with the NT government. ment of the park.

6. November 2014 NEWS Call for straight talk on fracking NEW mining techniques to extract oil and gas need to be tightly controlled to prevent damage to Aboriginal land and water, the Central Land Council has told the NT Inquiry into Hydraulic Fractur- ing. There has been a rapid increase in the number of applications for mining exploration permits (EPAs) that would involve fracking. The process fractures rocks by inject- ing chemicals and water into rocks. Oil and gas EPAs now cover most of the CLC region and traditional owners of many areas are keen to benefi t from the operations that could result. Since 2011, the number of explora- tion permits over Aboriginal land has jumped from 17 to 25. On pastoral land permits doubled from seven to 14. Some traditional owners have ap- proved applications, trusting that min- ers will “frack” in a way that is safe and well regulated, but have expressed concerns about contamination of water, earthquakes and explosions. Meanwhile the sheer number of ap- plications has placed pressure on both the CLC and traditional owners, with many EPAs considered speculative and unlikely to go ahead. Discussing an application can involve bringing together as many as 20 diff erent estate groups over proposed exploration areas as big as 16,000 km2 each, covering multiple land trusts and Aboriginal lan- 7UDGLWLRQDORZQHUVDQG&/&VWDIILQVSHFWIUDFNLQJZHOOVRQ0DQQXV&UHHN guage groups. HOW TO KEEP OUR LAND AND WATER SAFE The CLC has called for: ì Better information about oil and gas exploration, especially about how fracturing rocks can affect groundwater ì Prohibition of the use of community water supplies for fracking ì A process to weed out applications which are unlikely to proceed ì Environmental assessments on a regional basis instead of well by well ì Updating the NT Petroleum Act to recognise the hazards of fracking and petroleum exploration ì The Federal Government overseeing the NT Department of Mines and Energy (DME) as the number of fracking operations increases ì The Independent scrutiny of the DME to allay concerns it might be putting the interests of mining companies above others ì Public information on the location of fracking wells with reporting on water quality and quality ì An assessment of all groundwater resources in the CLC region with the development of guidelines for their sustainable use ì Full and publicly available lists of all chemicals to be used in fracking and their safe handling, storage, transport and use ì Ongoing environmental studies over all areas targeted by the oil and gas industry that consider potential damage to sacred sites and the natural environment Meet CLC’s new leaders

From page 2 same educational opportunities as other Tess Ross (left) was Australian kids without having to give one of Mr Kelly’s “When I think about the relation- up what makes them proud Aboriginal İUVWWHDFKHUVDWWKH ship between government and Aborigi- people.” Papunya store. He is also a Mr Kelly said a good bilingual and sion and observed by the Department of driving force of Papunya’s community bicultural education meant “more Abo- Prime Minister and Cabinet. lease money working group, a new CLC riginal teachers in remote communities, The Council voted for a new chair af- community development initiative that with all their skills and languages, and ter the Daguragu community near Kalk- plans and implements community ben- our own independent schools.” arindji elected Mr Michael George as its efi t projects with compensation and “The boarding schools the NT gov- new CLC delegate on 9 September 2014. rent income. ernment wants can be diffi cult,” he said. Mr George replaced the communi- Mr Butcher called the CLC election a 6DPP\%XWFKHUWULHVRXWQHZEDQG “Kids get homesick and when they ty’s previous representative and sus- new beginning for the organisation and HTXLSPHQWIRU3DSXQ\DåVPXVLFDQGYLGHR come back they are changed too much pended former CLC chair, Mr Maurie for him personally: “We can overcome VWXGLRâRQHRIVHYHUDOFRPPXQLW\OHDVH the whitefella way. Ryan. our diffi culties by all working together.” PRQH\SURMHFWVLQKLVFRPPXQLW\ “I want every one of them to have the

November 2014 7.

page 7.indd 1 20/10/2014 3:14:16 PM NEWS

Batchelor’s big September

THE Batchelor Institute won Training Pro- Australian Training Awards which will be vider of the Year award for the second year held in Adelaide in November. in a row at the NT Training Awards cere- Also in September, Batchelor celebrat- mony in Darwin in September. ed its 40 year anniversary at the Desert The award recognised Batchelor’s Peoples Centre campus in Alice Springs. ‘quality training programs’ for Aboriginal More than 100 guests, including past and Territorians and the employment they cre- present staff and students, attended the ated. celebratory dinner. Certifi cate II in Conservation and Land And on 5 September a graduation cere- Management (CLM) student Yupunu Fiona mony honoured 126 Aboriginal and Torres Marika from Dhimurru Aboriginal Corpo- Strait Islander students from 35 communi- ration emerged as the winner of the Ab- ties from Central Australia and interstate. original and Torres Strait Islander Student They collected degrees in Aboriginal and of the Year Award. Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems, Diploma in Education Support stu- Primary Health Care, Business, Childrens dent Monica Robinson from Walungurra Services, Community Services, Conserva- School, Kintore, was selected as fi nalist tion and Land Management,Construction, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Support, Family Wellbeing, Student of the Year and Pilar Cubillo, a Kitchen Operation, Screen and Media $%29(.DWKU\Q*LOEH\ZDVDZDUGHG%DWFKHORU,QVWLWXWHåVİUVWGRFWRUDO health worker on staff at the Institute, was Training and Assessment and Visual Arts. TXDOLİFDWLRQ6KHVXFFHVVIXOO\FRPSOHWHGD3K'LQ,QGLJHQRXV.QRZOHGJHVE\ selected as a fi nalist for the VET Teacher/ Yipirinya school’s popular Drum At- Research. Trainer of the Year. weme group led the academic procession. 'U*LOEH\ZKRLVDOVRZRUNVDWWKH,QVWLWXWHGHOLYHUHGWKHVWXGHQWUHVSRQVHRQ Yupunu Fiona Marika and Batchelor The graduation ceremony was broadcast EHKDOIRIDOOJUDGXDWHVGXULQJWKH6HSWHPEHUFHUHPRQ\ Institute are eligible to nominate for the live by CAAMA radio. WETT’s message to Canberra

THREE Warlpiri women went to Canberra “My grandchildren know that I take with a message rarely heard in the media: education seriously so they don’t muck that Aboriginal people care about learning around when I tell them to get to school,” and deserve support for their own education- she said. al initiatives. “They know that now, with the com- The trio braved the cold to tell research- munity learning centres, there is a path- ers, university students and government rep- way for adult education and training in resentatives about the learning community their own community even after they centres set up through the Warlpiri Educa- have left school.” tion and Training Trust (WETT). Barbara Martin, a teacher for more The presentation put the case for renewed than 25 years, also lives in Yuendumu. federal funding for the centres after a $1.3 “Learning centres give young adults million Commonwealth grant ran out this and older people a comfortable place to year. watch and learn,” she said. The audience learned how the centres, op- “They are mostly funded by Warlpiri erated through a four year partnership with money so people feel ownership of them. Batchelor Institute, are making a diff erence “Learning centres employ local people, to learning outcomes. &ROGEXWRQİUH%DUEDUD0DUWLQ0DUONLUGL5RVHDQG9DOHULH0DUWLQ too, like my daughter who is a numera- Marlkirdi Rose from Lajamanu told the ZLWKSXEOLFVHUYDQW6WHYH*RRGZLQ cy and literacy tutor. It is important for audience non Aboriginal people could take Warlpiri people to learn from each other.” access to education and learning for granted. Inge Kral and Gerry Schwab are Can- “You need to realise that we, too, have a berra based academics with longstand- passion for learning,” Ms Rose said, explain- fer learning and training opportunities in remote com- ing connections to remote indigenous ing how many Aboriginal people of her generation had munities. Australia. had to study a long way from home. Valerie Martin from Yuendumu explained how her They said learning community centres provided Now, she said, learning community centres largely own commitment to learning and work had helped her proven solutions to fi lling gaps in adult learning. funded by WETT royalty monies had been set up in to be a good role model for her children and grandchil- Ms Kral said the centres provided “life span, life Willowra, Nyirrpi, Lajamanu and Yuendumu. They of- dren. wide, life deep learning.”

8. November 2014

page 8.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:18:44 PM NEWS Forrest review of Aboriginal welfare: the good, the bad …

BILLIONAIRE miner Andrew Forrest’s review of Aboriginal education, dependent on taking up education or training would keep them in school or employment, training and welfare has caused a stir since it was released in training courses. August. Mr Forrest’s wide ranging report Creating Parity covers many issues APO NT said there was also no proof that punishing parents whose kids don’t that affect Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. Some of the measures go to school boosts school attendance. he recommends have found support, but others have come in for The alliance cautioned that negative messages wouldn’t help to criticism from Aboriginal organisations and politicians. build the much needed strong partnerships between parents, Among the more controversial recommendations is a schools and communities. It called for positive approaches, national cashless debit card for people on Centrelink for example for Aboriginal education workers as links benefits, the ‘Healthy Welfare Card’. between communities and schools. It also recommends cutting family benefits for Other Forrest review recommendations won parents whose kids don’t go to school, slashing support from APO NT, for example its focus on the number of different income support more investment in early childhood programs payments and stopping young people who and services, as well as on educational are not in education or training from outcomes. getting welfare. It strongly supported case Aboriginal peak organisations in the management for struggling families NT dismissed the review as “largely with young children. APO NT said ideological” and said they found Aboriginal organisations were best it difficult to see how many of the placed to deliver early childhood measures it recommendations would programs and should be supported to “hit the ground”. do so. APO NT, an alliance of the CLC, APO NT also supported provisional NLC, Aboriginal legal and medical driver’s licenses for people unable to services supported a number of drive because they have unpaid fines recommendations, but said many so they can get and keep jobs that would affect NT Aboriginal people involves driving. It also supported negatively. the recommendation for people in jail The alliance criticised the review’s to take part in compulsory English, belief that Aboriginal people need maths, driving and job skills training. to move away from their remote Other review recommendations that communities and outstations if they won support from the alliance were for the want to work or run businesses. Federal Government to spend Indigenous The APO NT submission to the Employment Programme money only Forrest review said income management when an ongoing job is guaranteed after has been very expensive in the NT training and for governments to enforce and seemed not to have achieved the Aboriginal employment targets desired results. for public sector jobs. It claimed there was no evidence that making welfare for young people … and the very ugly THE CLC has accused Andrew Forrest of not doing his homework and parroting Ms Anderson believes those who think home ownership will end disadvantage government ideology about Aboriginal land ownership. in remote Aboriginal communities Aboriginal are out of touch. His recommendation to allow individual ownership of Aboriginal land ignores “They’re living in la-la land,” she said. “They still don’t understand. Our whole the evidence and the significant progress already achieved, said the CLC. lifestyle begins with sharing. Aboriginal people are not about possessions. We’re “Almost all remote infrastructure and community housing are now held under collective owners of country. We’re collective owners of Tjukurrpa. We collectively voluntary s.19 leases”, the CLC’s separate submission to the review stated. “Rea- share what we’ve got and that’s how we live.” sonable applications for leases are considered by traditional owners and are often Prime Minister Abbott hasn’t yet revealed which of Mr Forrest’s recommenda- consented to”. tions he will adopt. That hasn’t stopped one of his junior ministers from saying he Mr Forrest overlooked these major land tenure reforms of the last five years be- wanted to work “region by region” to roll them out. cause they rival the government’s preferred approach to lease whole communities. Creating Parity is at https://indigenousjobsandtrainingreview.dpmc.gov.au/ Traditional owners in the CLC region have so far rejected these 99 year leases. forrest-review They believe this “township leasing” is unnecessary and allows the government For a copy of the CLC’s submissions to the review and its paper about land to control their decision making on Aboriginal land. tenure reform go to http://www.clc.org.au/publications/cat/issues-reports-sub- The CLC supported the review’s criticism of public housing in remote commu- missions/ nities but said that diversity of providers was a better solution than private homes. It said the review failed to understand what the major banks already know: that the real barriers to private home and business ownership in remote communitie- FREE EYE CHECKS sare factors such as remoteness, lack of infrastructure, poor roads, low incomes, The Congress Eye Health Service is for Indigenous people of all ages low literacy and numeracy, poor health and distance from markets. “If land tenure is the problem why is the situation in NT Aboriginal townships Who can access the service? under freehold no better than in remote communities on Aboriginal land?” asked CLC director David Ross. Anyone from an Indigenous family can see the optometrist, especially if you “Why are there no more Aboriginal jobs and businesses in Ti Tree, Kalkarindji, are diabetic, feel like you need glasses, have problems focusing, squint too Elliott and Finke, where the Land Rights Act does not apply? Why don’t more Abo- much, get headaches, can’t see small print or can’t see far. riginal people own private homes in those communities?” Where can people go to access the eye service? The Forrest review recommends that land councils should be forced to “heed the instructions [of traditional owners] to enable home ownership on their land”. Go to Congress on Gap Road (Alice Springs) or at the community clinic. The CLC said even though the process for getting a lease for a private home in a To make an appointment to see the optometrist at Congress, call 89514444. remote community was straightforward it had never had a request for one from an Aboriginal person. NT PUP leader Alison Anderson confirmed that there was no In the community just come to the clinic when the optometrist is visiting: demand from voters in her electorate of Namatjira. 3-4th November Mt Liebig 5-7th November Papunya 10-12th November “I’ve never had one person, since I’ve became a member in 2005, come to me and say: ‘Alison, I want to own my own home’. I’ve never heard that,” she said. Harts Range 13-14th November Engawala 26-28th November Ti Tree “Why would someone get themselves into huge debt and then say to their rela- 1st-3rd December Finke 4-5th December Titjikala tives: ‘You can’t stay here because you make my house dirty and I don’t want my Contact: 0427033656 stove broken?’ ” Heather Wilson November 2014 9.

page 9.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:14:42 PM NEWS Takeaway licence slashed THE NT Licencing Commission has backed calls from the Laja- manu community to limit sales of takeaway alcohol from the Top Springs Hotel. The commission has ruled that Top Springs (right) can sell only one carton of mid- or light strength beer to any person on one day and three cartons to any car on one day. Under the new rules, Top Springs will not be able to sell takeaway spirits or full strength beer. Member of Lajamanu’s Law and Justice group Kurdiji first asked the Licencing Commis- sion to impose takeaway restric- tions in October 2012 . They were concerned about the effect alcohol was having on Lajamanu, Kalkarindji, Daga- ragu, Yarralin and Pigeon Hole. The Central Land Council supported Kurdiji’s call and asked the Licensing Commis- sion to consult with communi- ties. The commission heard from community members and gov- ernment and health workers at Yarralin, Kalkarindji and Laja- manu and also went to Kather- ine and Darwin. The new rules for Top Springs started on 18 August 2014. ABOVE: The roadhouse at Top Springs. BELOW: Letter published in the Katherine Times before the decision. The Licencing Commission said the senior community members of Kurdiji had made a powerful case. “They spoke of the social dysfunction and family breakdown that they attributed to alco- hol purchases …from Top Springs Hotel,” the commission said. “They spoke openly of the number of family members who had died, been injured or jailed as a result of alcohol related violence and motor vehicle accidents.” The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) described cases of people be- ing drunk and getting into fights, hitting their erine West Health Board alcohol workers and doctors …. just getting wild. wives, and hurting family and friends, putting them in also spoke of the problems and fights caused by people “How can we stop these problems that we have in hospital or worse. drinking too much. our place? It’s the grog that comes in, pouring in, like NAAJA also told how people had driven while Night patroller and Kurdiji member Andrew John- water and everyone just getting mad and so people drunk, had accidentally killed members of their fam- son said: “I’ve seen some young ones passed away be- killing themselves, bashing their wife, committing ily and been sent to jail. cause of grog too much in the community. Twenty car- suicide… which is not good.” Police, Lajamanu Night Patrol members and Kath- tons, 15 cartons, too much and the whole community Cops at shops win more fans

CENTRAL Australia’s premier Aborigi- and has complemented the effect of the ing the alcohol nal controlled health organisation has treatment program, resulting in a major problem and backed police control of bottle shops reduction in heavy drinking and associ- attempting to in Alice Springs after more evidence ated problems,” she wrote in an Alice create solu- emerged that it has caused a dramatic Springs newspaper. tions.” decrease in violence. She said police data published had “We are But the Central Australian Aborigi- shown a 50% reduction in assaults since now witness- nal Congress has also acknowledged the the strategy of temporary beat locations ing a sub- policy discriminates against Aboriginal (TBL) began . stantial turn- people. It recommends reinstating the Alice Springs Hospital data had around in the Banned Drinkers Register “to ensure shown alcohol related emergency pre- levels of alco- the overall alcohol policy is less dis- sentations were down by about half, and hol consump- criminatory.” referrals to the Women’s Shelter were tion and trau- Meanwhile, moves to create options reported to have dropped by similar ma in central for safe drinking by Aboriginal people amounts. Australia,” Mr through Alcohol Management Plans are Alice Springs Town Council rangers Snowdon said. progressing slowly, with alcohol con- have reported in the media that they are “Alice sumption on all town camps still pro- no longer tipping out alcohol and are no Springs is now hibited. longer coming across drinkers in the far from being “Many Aboriginal non-drinkers, Congress CEO Donna Ah Chee said river bed. a stabbing capital, and this is largely the moderate drinkers and elders support five months worth of data on alcohol Ms Ah Chee said resuming photo ID result of research, analysis, advocacy these positive discrimination arrange- consumption from Congress Safe and scanning for all alcohol purchases and and action by Aboriginal community ments,” Mr Snowdon said Sober Clients showed the number of reinstating the BDR would target any- leaders and their allies.” “It has to be said, these measures are clients drinking more than 50 standard one who might have a serious alcohol Mr Snowdon said the TBL was “at not without their critics, particularly by drinks per week had dropped by 70 per problem even more effectively. least partly a result of the work of PAAC those who believe they unfairly target cent, compared with a similar period in Member for Lingiari Warren Snow- People’s Alcohol Action Coalition) and Aboriginal people. 2013. don has portrayed the bottle shop pa- Aboriginal community organisations “Nevertheless it appears that they “Lack of access to take away alco- trols as part of a long process triggered in building strong pressure for major have had great success.” hol has been a major contributor to this 30 years ago by Aboriginal people “own- change.” 10. November 2014

page 10.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:09:23 PM NEWS Pool focus on school, health and jobs

THE Mutitjulu community has opened its self funded pool for summer, determined to build on the great outcomes achieved during the fi rst swimming season. Since the September start of the season, only children who have attended the full school day have been able to swim on weekdays. “There are signs the Mutitjulu pool committee’s ‘Yes school – Yes pool’ policy contributed to increased school attendance during the last season,” said CLC director David Ross. “I am pleased that it’s in place again for this season.” Traditional owner and pool committee member Barbara Tjikatu is proud of the health benefi ts the pool is creating, especially for people with disabilities. Committee members made sure the pool has a hydraulic lift for older and disabled swimmers. Ms Tjikatu, who uses a wheelchair, said: “That’s a good thing. When it gets hot again I may have a swim.” Yes school - yes pool: Mutitjulu kids enjoy their second swimming season She says the pool has helped a young local girl with a physical disability. like Freddie, who has the support of are working with the CLC to extend communities with pools don’t control “Through swimming she‘s got stronger, the local community, is excellent. Last partnerships within the community. their own ongoing sources of income. running around.” season some locals supported him at They plan events and youth services Last year the MacDonnell shire In 2013 the CLC hired pool operators the pool on a temporary basis and this and longer opening hours for parents closed the Santa Teresa, Kintore and Casa Leisure, with funding from the year we would like to see someone from with young children, as well as the Utju pools, saying it could no longer traditional owners of the Uluru Kata the community employed for the entire elderly. aff ord to run them. Tjuta National Park, to run the pool for season.” Both the Giles and Abbott seven seasons. Mr Ross called on governments to Still no lasting solution governments told the shire they were With strong support from the share the running costs of the pool with not responsible for funding remote pool community based pool committee the the traditional owners in the future so for other remote pools company ran a very successful fi rst that they can plan other community operating costs. swimming season. It attracted more benefi t projects with their rent money. “Unlike many other communities, Papunya Tula and the Kintore store than 6,500 pool visits – an average of 35 “For seven years they planned the Mutitjulu traditional owners do not came to the rescue of the Kintore pool visits a day. pool, saved up $1.5 million of their own have to beg the government to keep and this year they’re again contributing Casa Leisure’s general manager Rob money to operate it until 2017, oversaw their pool open,” said CLC chair Francis to keeping it open. Heinjus is looking forward to training a great fi rst season and now they are Kelly. “That’s self determination.” The shire managed to fi nd enough local people to work at the pool alongside working closely with Casa Leisure to While Mutitjulu has the Uluru money in this year’s budget to operate pool manager Freddie Couldwell. employ locals at the pool.” Rent Money Project other remote all three pools for this season but the “To have someone on the ground The company and the pool committee future remains uncertain. Land rights under attack Continued from page 3

The CLC and NLC executive committees went to Canberra earlier this year to urge politicians to reject the changes. The CLC delegates reaffi rmed their opposition at the May Council meeting. Two months later, NT ministers Bess Price and John Elferink asked the federal government to hand the whole land rights act over to the Territory, arguing that it holds up development. Ms Anderson asked her PUP colleagues Yurrkuru handback in the Senate to oppose the move because “we can’t trust these carpetbaggers in the NT that call themselves a government.” She said that government failure, rather than land rights, was responsible for keeping Aboriginal people poor. For now the fate of the changes rests with the PUP senators. “They see the dangers,” Ms Anderson said. “We’ve got statutory bodies we all agree with and they’re our land councils. We need to maintain the full strength and the full power that goes with having our land councils in place because that’s the only thing we have now. We all have to stick together. This is the fi ght for our identity, for our culture and for our souls as Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. Once this government starts eroding some of the powers of the land councils where are they going to stop?”

November 2014 11.

page 11.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:01:29 AM NEWS Money well spent

ONE of the traditional owner groups of the East MacDonnell Ranges National Parks has used $64,480 of its NT Parks rent mon- ey to fi x up the outstation of Wil- liams Well, east of Alice Springs. After heavy rains, Williams Well has been cut off for days at a time, but a causeway built with the funds will allow TOs to cross the nearby creek without getting bogged. ABOVE: The new causeway. “That river gave us a problem BELOW: Tommy and Aaron Burdett over the years,” traditional own- inspect a damaged water pipe er Faye Oliver said. “We used to live there, and we want to go back and stay there.” TOs also installed a new wa- ter tank, which will ensure a better water supply at Williams Well. Their next project will be to repair the remaining water lines to ensure no water is lost through leaks. The Centre for Appropriate Technology has been working with TOs and the CLC to make the improvements so TOs can spend more time on their coun- try and stay connected to their culture.

ABOVE: Douglas Wells, Desmond Jack, and Malcolm Moneymoon enjoy Titjikala’s new investments. Titjikala invests in work and play

A BETTER sports ground and nivals. communities to enjoy the new a rec hall are among the lat- Local men Andrew Wilyu- facilities. est improvements Titjikala is ka, Geoff rey Campbell, George “We’re going to have a making with community lease Summerfi eld, Francis Penhall sports carnival when the oval money. and Bonaventure Campbell works are fi nished and that will bring more money into the community,” said Andrew. Magic school bus Concerned about a lack of activities in Titjikala, resi- dents also decided to establish their own rec hall, and have takes Papunya to purchased a pool table and band equipment with disco lights. “We bought this equip- ment to give people something top of the class to do and keep kids out of trouble,” local band member PAPUNYA has created its own public transport system so chil- Darren Wilyuka said. dren in outstations can get to school more easily. Desmond Jack is also hap- Community members working with the CLC’s community py to see people using the new development program decided to use up to $90,000 of their fi ve equipment. year lease money to buy and maintain a minibus for the service. “Since we set up our own The bus also helps older outstation residents to come to the rec hall everyone in the com- community clinic. munity has been in there,” he Papunya community lease money working group member said. Linda Anderson said: “It’s good to use this money in a proper Money made from the coin way, a healthy way, and to see the good outcomes for our chil- operated pool table goes to- dren. Then we have community pride.” wards another local project – The project has strong community ownership, with many Andrew Wilyuka at work in Titjika looking after the community Papunya residents involved. bus. The community has also The minibus travels to Ulumbarru, Black Water and Green bought new football jumpers Valley outstations to pick up school children and drop them And it’s not only sport have been working with Tan- for the Titjikala Hawks and home. School attendance offi cers Sheila Inkamala, Alfrieda Mi- that’s benefi tting. gentyere Constructions on the paid the team’s CAFL regis- nor and Florence Brown organise pickups and have helped to Residents have been work- sports ground. tration fees for the past two increase school attendance to 80-90 a day. ing with the CLC’s commu- “We had jobs taken from seasons. Local RJCP workers drive the bus and take older people to nity development unit on proj- us, so it’s good that we created People in Titjikala are and from the clinic and shopping. ects funded with lease money. our own jobs with our lease planning more projects. The Papunya community store manages the project and ar- Since 2012 they’ve allocated money,” Andrew said. As Andrew Wilyuka put it: ranges maintenance and repairs to keep the service going. more than $326,000 to them. “It’s important young fel- “We’re making our own deci- Papunya has also used some of its community lease money They decided upgrading las get training so they can get sions about what we think is for a music project, sports ground upgrade and a community their football oval and softball jobs. We’ve got some getting best for our community.” kitchen. fi elds would create employ- trained at the moment.” Community leader and working group member Sammy ment opportunities and en- Titjikala people are look- Butcher said: “We want to show everyone that we are leading able them to hold sports car- ing forward to inviting other the way here in Papunya, doing good things with our money!” 12. November 2014

page 12.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:30:36 PM NEWS New church pulls community together

tension. It now has a concrete floor, a new roof and a fence to keep kids safe from dogs and cars. Mr Beasley Senior passed away not long after the project was finished. His children say the church has always been the focal point of the 200 strong community. “The church is where people gath- er up for gospel meetings and teaching our kids,” Stewart said. “We also go to other communities and celebrate special events like the Easter Convention,” “It’s not a meeting ground, it’s where we do recordings and we are ex- cited to get the new [band] equipment. We used to have to go a long way to buy new strings or speakers.” The upgrades included new indus- trial fans, lights and new band equip- ment which arrived on the night of the recent opening. RESIDENTS of a remote Central Aus- tungurra is one of five communities in- The community celebrated with a tralian community have pitched in vesting their collective compensation barbeque, dances by children and a $200,000 of their own money to turn a payments in church construction or slideshow of historic photos. cramped 40 year old church into a huge renovation projects. “We want to say thanks to our fa- outdoor community space. Inspired by their late father’s ded- ther for wanting the new church,” Before the renovations, Wutunu- ication to the church, Stewart and Shirley said. gurra families had to worship in the Shirley Beasley and Julie Peterson de- CLC director David Ross said Ar- dirt with only an old bough shelter for cided with other residents to extend it. eyonga, Alpurrurulam, Atitjere and shade and protection. There was also The CLC’s community development Tara communities were also working only a small space with limited room to program helped them to design a large with the CLC on church projects fund- store church band equipment securely. covered space at the church to fit in the ed by community lease compensation. The CLC had negotiated compen- local congregation and visitors, as well “I’m not surprised they’re popular,” sation for Wutunugurra and 30 other as do some upgrades. he said. remote communities for the federal The church took three months to “Churches are among the few spac- government takeover of community renovate. Local men Stewart Beasley es people in remote communities still leases during the NT Intervention. Wu- and Craiglyn Glen worked on the ex- feel they control.” Winners always stand united, says Audrey

TWO Mt Liebig leaders are using ready put their new skills to good insights from a three day edu- use in Mt Liebig by working with cation conference in Melbourne other residents to successfully to build a better community. manage difficult situations. Audrey Turner and Carol Peter- They are also passing them on son (pictured below, with friends) to other residents to help build a were funded by their community stronger, happier community. to go to the education forum in While in Melbourne, the May. women also watched the St Kilda They topped this up with a visit football team train. to a Saints training session. After watching the team’s The Mt Liebig community lease work out Audrey Turner com- money working group approved mented: “Standing up to end $4,520 of its five year lease money fighting in the community takes for the trip, as a way to bring new that same courage as St Kilda to skills in managing interpersonal keep playing when they are be- issues into the community. ing thrashed. The education forum includ- “A true leader keeps on stand- ABOVE: Shenelle (centre right) on stage at the conference in Hawaii ed sessions on leadership, creat- ing for making a difference and ing positive change, learning and never giving up, no matter what. exploring different ways of work- Only a team united together can Shenelle thinks globally, acts locally ing together. win the match.” Audrey and Carol have al- YUENDUMU teenager mum when they sang beau- cate herself to her own educa- Shenelle Collins has a new tiful songs. It was special for tion and future since return- view of the world after a once me thinking that she was still ing.” in a lifetime trip to Hawaii for beside me like a spirit to guide Donisha Granites and the 2014 World Indigenous me. Kiara-Anne Dempsey from People’s Conference on Edu- “It made me feel more Yuendumu also attend Wora- cation (WIPCE). proud of my own culture wa with support from WETT. Shenelle was one of five and made me learn more and Donisha, a talented net- talented Indigenous students made me stronger.” ball and basketball player, has from Victoria’s Worawa Abo- Shenelle took part in tra- been chosen to take part in a riginal College attending the ditional dances from all over sport and culture exchange to annual conference. the world, including Native New Zealand in 2015. As a boarding student, she American and Hawaiian danc- Kiara-Ann is in the Wora- received financial support es, spoke about her school and wa Choir and has been nom- from the Warlpiri Education culture at a public forum, at- inated to go to Gallipoli next Training Trust’s (WETT) tended the WIPCE Youth Day year for the Remembrance Secondary School Support and visited a local village. Day Service. Project to travel to the United “Shenelle showed remark- Every year, the WETT States. able progress in every way Trustee, the Kurra Aboriginal “It changed my eyes,” during the week in Hawaii,”- Corporation, gives financial Shenelle said. said Lois Peeler, Principal of support to up to 40 Warlpiri “Hawaii was crowded and Worawa Aboriginal College. secondary students in board- busy. It made me think of my “She has continued to dedi- ing schools. November 2014 13.

page 13.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:24:54 PM NEWS Maku gets a makeover

PAPUNYA people have banded together to turn one of Papunya’s oldest buildings into a thriving community centre. The Maku Shed, built in Papunya’s early days, was named because the old Nissen hut looks like a witchetty grub (maku). The idea for the centre evolved from the success of Papunya’s computer room, which had been set up with support from the Central Australian Youth Link-Up Service. The volunteer run computer room had survived without funding for five years. Community members, including Sid Anderson, asked CAYLUS to help move the computers into the dilapi- dated Nissen hut, most recently used as an outstation mechanics’ centre. CAYLUS said it would help if the community cleaned out the old hut. After some big working bees the hut was ready, and CAYLUS sourced funding from the Aboriginals Benefit Account and FAHCSIA in 2013. The community centre opened last year after traditional owners gave the lease to the Papunya store next door. The store sells food in the centre. Adults and young people are helping out, with pizza proving to be a big hit. The sight of young people enjoying themselves in the shed has brought back a lot of memories for older resi- dents such as Sid Anderson. “They used to march us over from the school every days for lunch,” recalls Mr Anderson, who remembers when the shed was a community kitchen. “The shed was sitting here for a long time and we thought a lot about how to put it to use again.” Mr Anderson says the shed has proved popular, not only with young people who enjoy going online on the computers or playing snooker, but the broader community as well. Watching the footy on a big screen on Satur- day afternoons drw big crowds during the AFL season. There is also some gym equipment and a sewing section. Now Papunya has a large indoor space where people can simply hang out, whatever the weather. “CAYLUS was happy to help the community renovate and use this historic building”, said CAYLUS’s Blair McFarland. ”We know of a lot of buildings and basketball courts across our region that no one leases and no one is looking after. We are hoping to attract federal funding for a program to fix up these community resources and find local agencies to look after them the way the Papunya Social Club is now looking after the Maku Shed.”

LEFT (top to bottom): Construction of the shed at Papunya in the 1950s; Children playing outside the shed after it was built; Fire almost destroyed the shed in the 1980s; Shed being renovated. TOP RIGHT: Interior of shed before renovation and BOTTOM RIGHT; Inside the Maku Shed 2014.

14. November 2014

page 14.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:21:36 PM NEWS There’s Consider a cadetship room at THE Central Land Council’s cadetship scheme for Aboriginal university stu- dents provides valuable paid work expe- rience with one of the largest Aboriginal the top employers in the region. ONE of the largest employers of It also aims to create opportunities Aboriginal people in the NT, the for qualified Aboriginal employees to fill Central Land Council, is taking more senior roles in the organisation. practical steps to include and sup- The Indigenous Cadetship Support port more Aboriginal people at (ICS) is an Australian Government initi- the senior management level. ative that links Indigenous tertiary stu- “We have created an exciting dents with employers. new senior management develop- The ICS provides up to $7,050 per se- ment opportunity as part of our mester to employers to support cadets commitment to lift the number or with a living allowance. Study related Aboriginal people in senior man- costs such as textbooks and the employ- agement positions”, said CLC di- ers’ administration costs are also offset. rector David Ross. Cadets also receive travel assistance and Mr Ross, who first joined the a wage. The CLC has run cadetships for CLC as a clerk in 1979, has wit- 20 years and currently employs three stu- nessed a big increase in the num- dents. ber of Aboriginal employees. Human Resources manager Kim Man- While 48% of the CLC’s work- nering is encouraging future university force of 235 is now Aboriginal, students to contact her during the next only a handful of Aboriginal peo- cadetship round in December. ple work as co-ordinators or man- “We’re always keen to get expressions agers. of interest from school leavers who might be interested in working here,” says Kim. “Over time, we want every CLC staff have watched Leonie’s con- “There’s a pre school named after The CLC aims to over time fill all posi- CLC position filled with an Abo- fidence grow since she started the cadet- her in Alice Springs. Freda Glynn was tions with Aboriginal staff. riginal person, so clearly the pace ship. “She’s been taking on some meaty involved with setting up CAAMA and Im- of change has to pick up”, said Mr Leonie Jones, Human Resources work, too!” says HR manager Kim Man- parja.” Ross. nering. “I have hopes to be a leader and a good “Right now, I am keen to hear role model in whatever field I choose.” Leonie (right) is a CLC baby and has from Aboriginal people who are Rona graduated with honours from high never been far from the organisation. Rona Glynn-McDonald, Corporate ready to take responsibility for school and received a full scholarship to “I’ve only spent three years here as Services managing one of our organisa- Melbourne University. an employee but my mum [Gina Bennett] tional units”. She applied for a few cadetships worked at the land council for 24 years, so Rona (left) is a go-getter studying “I am looking for candidates around Australia but took the CLC offer I’ve known it my whole life,” says Leonie, a Batchelor of Business at Melbourne who can commit to our strategic because it meant she could come back to who moved to Adelaide two years ago to University. With an international award goals and a development program her home town in the holidays. She hopes study a Batchelor of Business at Flinders winning film maker father [Warwick that will progressively prepare to land a job in Alice Springs one day. University. Thornton], her mother Penny McDonald them for a senior leadership role”. “It’s important for me to keep that con- “I started out as a receptionist when I running the NT Film Office and her broth- He said one opportunity in- nection with Alice Springs and the CLC,” deferred my university degree for a year er [Dylan McDonald] already a name in- volves managing the CLC’s em- she says. after I finished year 12 so that I could the film industry, Rona is aiming for her ployment and enterprise unit. During her first work placement at the work at CLC. I wanted to work in human own stars. “We’re keeping an open mind CLC in July, Rona said her perspective resources, so after a year of work I applied “I’m named after and inspired by my and, depending on the calibre of on the organisation had already grown. for a cadetship in the HR department. great aunt Rona Glynn, who was an in- the applicants, we may also offer fluential and recognised female pioneer, positions in other areas”. “I want to come back and work for the Continued on page 24 CLC when I’ve finished my degree.” being the first Aboriginal midwife,” said Rona. All will be revealed: ABS survey

RESIDENTS of more than 30 Territory remote commu- from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Between surveys, the ABS consults with commu- nities are taking part in one of the biggest social sur- Custody. The commission quickly realised that it had nity groups and peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Is- veys of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people much less information about the lives of Aboriginal lander organisations about how to improve them. yet. people than about other Australians. This year’s NATSISS will include questions about The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island- After a few years the survey was split into two, a homelessness and leadership for the first time. er Social Survey (NATSISS) is a far cry from the days social survey and a health survey, which are now held when indigenous people were not counted in the cen- alternately, every three years. %(/2:6RPHRIWKHİQGLQJVRI1$76,66 sus. Held every six years, the survey has been de- signed to create a picture of the everyday life and culture of Australia’s Indigenous people, and com- pare the progress or lack of progress that has been made in different areas. NATSISS was designed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics with input from national, local and State 27% of people lived in and Territory organisations as well as national re- a home that was over- search bodies and the Australian government. All ”‘™†‡† Ǧ –Š‹• ™ƒ• ͙͖Ψ will have free access to the data, which will be col- 62% of people iden- for people living in re- lected from personal interviews with 11,000 Aborigi- mote areas nal and Torres Strait Islander people. –‹Ƥ‡† ™‹–Š ƒ Žƒǡ A spokesperson for the ABS said all interviews tribal or language group would be confidential. The information provided by 89% of adults said households would be used to create national, state they would be able and regional profiles. The households were chosen to get help from randomly. 17% of people someone who did The Northern Territory will have more commu- spoke language not live with them nities represented in the survey than any other state. - this was 49% for ȋ‹ Ž—†‹‰ ‡‘–‹‘- Interviewers will ask household members about people living in re- ƒŽ •—’’‘”–ǡ ‘‡› their housing, education, diet, physical and mental mote areas or food) health, their trust in authority, attitudes to police and the law, experiences of discrimination and the importance of family. NATSISS will also ask people about the role of traditional culture in their lives and how important sport is to them, among many other subjects. The survey came into being when the Federal Government was trying to address issues arising November 2014 

page 15.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:02:24 AM CARING FOR COUNTRY

LAJAMANU women of all ages have used trips to the Southern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) to assert the role women play in caring for their country. In a community that currently has no female rangers, these trips Strong Tanami Women are important opportunities to keep women involved in the IPA. Wurkumanu (old women) on the IPA committee wanted to teach story and awulyu (women’s ceremony) to younger women and school aged girls. During the mid year school break they teamed up with the CLC, the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC), and Warnayaka Arts Centre and sorted themselves into skin groups. The Nungarrayis and Napaljarris led the way, bashing a track to the women’s Jilimi site in the Duckponds area. The next group to go out were the Nakamarras and Napurrurlas, who camped out near Jangalpangalpa outstation. Both groups collected yarla (bush yams) along the Yapa- kurlangu track. On the fi rst night of each camp women practiced song cycles around the campfi re, and on the second night they painted up and performed. “We’ve been taking kids around, learning them,” said Beth Nungarrayi Patrick. “They’ve been learning dancing, going around hunting, showing them how to dig for bush yams too, and for goanna. It’s really good.” Margaret Nungarrayi Martin said: ‘We’re taking kurdu-kurdu [children] for dance, and wiri-wiri [adults] they’re dancing too, we’re dancing too, us too. We’re doing it right, langa bush. We’re doing the right thing when we go bush.” Women are also recording ceremony on these trips on video so they can show their videos during the long hot wet season. The IPA program will support them to run a series of women’s culture nights. The other skin groups plan to have their trips in the next mid year school holidays. Tempe Downs: rare species survive ferals and fi re TEMPE DOWNS traditional owners have come face to higher rocky country. face with the huge damage feral horses have done to Tjuwanpa rangers, CLC staff , scientists their country. and volunteers helped traditional owners A two week survey of the Urrampinyi Iltjiltjarri to record evidence of rock wallabies, the Aboriginal Land Trust (Tempe Downs) in September Slaters Skink, birds, fi sh, frogs and yabbies. clearly showed massive erosion caused by more than It’s now offi cial that the land trust boasts 8,000 horses running wild. the greatest concentration of rock holes in Even though recent culling has brought those Central Australia. numbers down, the horses have turned entire valleys Traditional owners also visited places of in the high biodiversity area between the Watarrka cultural and family importance. A highlight and Finke Gorge national parks into a moonscape – was their trip to the old Tempe Downs without topsoil or a blade of grass in sight. homestead, a place of childhood memories The traditional owners took part in the study to of camping in humpies and watching the record plants, animals and their habitat and to learn stockmen. how to better protect their country from fi re and ferals. To the joy of many, the mingkulpa (bush But their survey also tells a tale of survival. It found tobacco) in the rocky country was showing that many rare and threatened plants and animals strong signs of recovery. have found refuges in the gorges, rock holes and the Erosion from horses on the land trust COMMUNITY NOTICES FREE CENTRAL LAND COUNCIL ONLINE CLC digital photo archive: http://clc.ara-irititja.com CALL: 89516215 CLC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CentralLC Land Rights News Central Australia or email us: http://www.clc.org.au/land-rights-news/ CLC website: www.clc.org.au [email protected] CLC FREECALL 1800 003 640

16. November 2014

page 16.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:02:41 AM CARING FOR COUNTRY Young people make space for happiness

A LEADING mental health ser- vice has launched a campaign to get young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people to speak more openly about their feelings. The Headpsace organisation developed the Yarn Safe program with a group of 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young peo- ple from across Australia. Headspace CEO Chris Tanti said depression, anxiety and suicide affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth more than non Indigenous young peo- ple. Telling the mental health story

“Shame, judgement THE women of Inkawanyerre in the Utopia area had welcome narrative therapy helped to nurture mental health in the com- and feeling isolated for news that a decision to cut funding to a Flying Doctor mental munity. not being ‘normal’ is stop- health program has been reversed. “The activity is also very enjoyable for participants, with ping many young people The Mental Health Services in Rural and Remote Area (MHS- group members often laughing and supporting one another as from getting the help they RRA) program supports them through a therapy that taps into they tell stories and work on their painting,” Ms Henderson need,” Tanti said. traditional ways of story telling and artistic expression. said. The MHSRRA also flies mental health specialists to southwest The MHSRRA program saw 4,090 patients in communities Through the workshops and a Territory communities to deliver care, including therapy and in the southern part of the NT last financial year. series of phone and online inter- counselling. “The program fills a growing need for mental health ser- actions, young people provided NT Medicare Local, which funded the RFDS for the pro- vices among those living in remote communities,” an RFDS direction for every aspect of the gram, blamed the federal government’s budget cuts for its deci- spokesperson said. campaign, including language, sion to axe the program, but after widespread media attention “The team aims to support those living with mental illness, colours, messaging and design. a solution was found. to educate people about mental illness and to support clinic One of the young people, Sam Through the MHSRRA, RFDS Mental Health Clinician staff who care for those living with mental illness. The aim is to Paxton, said designing an effective Lynne Henderson regularly made the four hour road trip from make an impact on high suicide rate in remote communities.” national campaign had been chal- Alice Springs up the Sandover Highway for the therapy ses- Ms Henderson uses this therapy tso guide the group to de- lenging. sions with the Inkawenyerre women. velop art work with a message to encourage healthy living. “We’ve united elements of art “The women and the children recreate what you see on any In this session pictured above the group begin their discus- with strong imagery of people, given evening in the community – people sitting around the sion by viewing a painting by former health worker and elder, country and language that’s famil- fire, relating with each other and telling stories,” Ms Hender- Andrew Japaljarri Spencer. iar to and resonates with all,” she son said. The program visits communities in the south, west and east said. She said the story telling and art based approach known as of the CLC region, right up to Alpururrurlam. Jimmy’s at peace with his shadow Words that go

ONE of Australia’s best known Aborig- with feelings inal playwrights has spoken of his life- THE centrefold poster in this issue of Land long struggle to sur- Rights News Central Australia (next page) vive mental illness. was created by the NPY Women’s Council Broome’s Jimmy as part of its Uti Kulintjaku project to help Chi created the ac- Anangu with mental health problems. claimed 1990s musi- This ‘words for feelings map’ is the first cal Bran Nue Dae, in a series designed to help people find the which was made right words to describe different emotional into a popular film, and mental states. while Corrugation Uti Kulintjaku means “to think and un- Road explored the derstand clearly” in Pitjantjatjara. Senior issues around his Anangu consultants, mental health profes- own mental illness. sionals and NPY Women’s Council staff met In an interview in workshops to come up with a shared un- with the ABC, Jim- derstanding about mental health words and my talked about ideas. how as a young en- The work is not always easy but consult- gineering student ants Valerie Foster, Helen Martin, Marga- a car accident had ret Smith and Theresa Nipper have clear left him with brain goals: “Our group is about bringing things injuries and a bipo- out in the open – talking about mental lar disorder he still health and trauma. This is to help our fam- suffers. ilies and communities see and understand “I was first diag- what’s happening. We are also learning as nosed in 1970,” Jim- we go along. We’ve now got words to talk my told the ABC. about these things with our children and “I had to cope music and plays to keep myself go- change for the better,” Jimmy said. grandchildren. We are bringing things out with medicines, which at that time ing, as an interest and to stay alive,” Still living in Broome, he is opti- into the open. We really enjoy this work.” were the only ones available, that he said. mistic about people’s ability to over- The Uti Kulintjaku project shares the made me overweight. I was 20 stone Jimmy wrote about his Aborig- come mental illness. resources produced, for example a more from eight stone 10. When I got my inal and Asian heritage and the “The doctors can help you some- comprehensive collection of words de- first job in Broome, I had to lay on pearling history of his home town of what; the hospitals are good, there’s scribing people’s mental and emotional the bed and let my mother tie my Broome. a lot more different medicines now,” states. Words are written in Pitjantjatjara/ shoes because I could not bend over.” Then he began collaborating with he told the ABC. Yankunytjara and Ngaanyatjarra with a After another breakdown, Jim- Broome musicians Mick Manolis “But it’s all up to you. Suicide is brief description of the meaning in Eng- my’s doctor advised him to go on and Stephen Pigram. never justified; it takes more guts to lish. The project’s mental health dictionary social security, which the writer de- “Through our songs we made an stay alive and face your problems. app will be available soon. scribed as “very self destructive to attempt to reconcile Australia, or “Believe me it does get better For the poster and the collection go to any person, not being able to work Western Australia, with the Aborigi- eventually.” http://www.npywc.org.au/ngangkari/ at all.” nal struggle. A lot of our songs have ngangkari-news/ or contact Emma on 8958 “And so I had to develop my skills been our attempts to bring about 2345 or at [email protected] in writing, composing, and creating

November 2014 17.

page 17.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:46:08 PM p18&19 14.10.14.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:13:04 AM p18&19 14.10.14.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:13:04 AM SORRY Chair made the land his business FORMER Central Land Council chair Lindsay Bookie hard working and smart man who succeeded despite will be remembered as a passionate man who succeeded never having had the opportunity to learn to read and in the world of business but never stopped caring about write. his culture, country, land rights and sacred sites. They recalled that he was always on the move and An Eastern Arrernte man, he was born in 1944 at one of his favourite expressions was “Come on! We’ve Tobermorey station near the Queensland border. got things to do!” As a young man he worked as a stockman on cattle Mr Bookie encouraged his children and stations throughout the eastern region of the Northern grandchildren to try their best and follow in his Territory and across the border in Queensland. He footsteps. He wanted his family to carry on his work, loved the pastoral life and he continued to work with sharing culture and educating people on the land. He cattle properties into his 70s. would always say: “It’s up to you mob!” Mr Bookie was fighting for the protection of sacred He didn’t like town, where there were too many sites on cattle properties even before land rights and people, too many cars. He much preferred to be out cultural heritage laws came in. During these early bush, in the open air by the big fire with his cup of days, he also worked with the miners at Moly Hill Mine tea. Every time he came into town he just wanted to on Jinka Station to get jobs for local Aboriginal people. go back. Mr Bookie continued to work hard throughout his CLC director David Ross said Mr Bookie did not just life. He was a community police officer with the NT “talk the talk”, but “made real” the promise of land Police and a field officer for the CLC at Atitjere (Harts rights by running his award winning cultural tourism Range). He also served on many boards and councils, business. including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander “Mr Bookie believed in private enterprise as a Commission (ATSIC), the Bonya Health Council and way out of dependency and, in partnership with his the CLC. business associate Mr Jol Fleming, actually put his Mr Bookie was elected three times as CLC chair, belief into practice”, he said. a role he filled between March 2006 and May 2012. “He was a constructive and positive leader who was During his leadership, the Council achieved a number willing to get on with and work with everyone for the of successful land claims. Among the national parks greater good of achieving outcomes for Aboriginal and reserves he saw handed back was his own country people. in the Simpson Desert. “He was often frustrated about the social problems At the time of the handback, in 2009, he described our people are facing but he never let them forget about the land council as “our Alkwerte, like our shield.” the good things that were happening during his tenure, “We use the shield for ceremony and the land for example the employment opportunities that come council is our main body we come to with problems with the handing back of the NT national parks to their and issues,” he said. traditional owners and the CLC’s ground breaking Mr Bookie believed that private enterprise was a desert. Numbers steadily increased. ranger and community development programs. path to self determination for Aboriginal people, and Mr Fleming said in the first year the road was open “He was also passionately opposed to the now was optimistic that traditional owners could use their to tourists it was used by fewer than 20 cars, but by last abandoned nuclear waste dump proposal at Muckaty land for tourism or other businesses. He showed the year more than 700 were making the trip. Station, which he felt was bad for tourism.” way with his own successful tourism enterprise at He described Mr Bookie as “one of nature’s His passing will be felt not just in Central Batton Hill which he created with his business partner gentlemen.” Australia but also in Queensland where he had strong and friend, Jol Fleming. His wife Caroline and children Tanya, Cyril, Kevin connections. The two began working together in the late 1990s, and Wayne, and his many grandchildren and great The thoughts of CLC members and staff are with with Mr Bookie running bush tucker tours on his grandchildren supported him throughout his life and his wife, Ms Caroline Dixon, and their children Cyril, country. In 2002 he set up a camp at Batton Hill for four work. Tanya, Wayne and Kevin. wheel drive tourists travelling through the Simpson His daughters remembered Mr Bookie as a practical, Broken bones, strokes couldn’t stop her KUNMANARA was a woman of great character and printmaking, painting, punu (carved wooden a truly open heart whose life encompassed profound artefacts), spinning, making mukata (beanies) and traditional cultural knowledge and committed ceramics established her as one of the leading creative Christian belief. makers of her generation. Her work is held in national Both these ways of being sustained and nourished collections across Australia. her as she worked continuously to understand and Together with Tjariya (aka Nungalka), Pantjiti live them fully. McKenzie and other senior women, Kunmanara She was a compassionate woman who was established Apunkanu, a sacred space for women from unfailingly thoughtful for others’ welfare and well- across the region for their large ceremonial gatherings. being. She was also charming and very beautiful, The late Simon Tjiyangu and Donald Fraser granted with a dry wit and a marvellous sense of fun. the land. Other Anangu women refer to Kunmanara Kunmanara spoke Pitjantjatjara, Arrernte and and Tjariya as mayatja (manager) for this country. English. She was born at Urampinyi (Tempe Downs) Kunmanara served with distinction on the Board in 1938. of Joint Management of Uluru Kata Tjuta National Her birth place and kin relationships connected Park and in 2008 suffered a stroke. Typically she fought her to the Minyma Kutjara Tjurkurpa, of which she back, gradually regaining full speech although one became an immensely knowledgeable and revered arm remained paralysed and she had to use a wheel senior custodian. chair. In her early years her family moved regularly She then lived in the Ernabella Aged Care Respite between Utju (Areyonga) where she went to school, Centre where she kept everyone on their toes and Pukatja (Ernabella) and the cattle stations of Angas continued painting and mukata making. She even Downs, Tempe Downs and Henbury. recovered from a broken femur. Kunmanara was Pastor Albrecht from Ntaria (Hermannsburg) one of the Pukatja singers and performers who married Kunmanara to her first husband, the toured Australia throughout 2007-9 in the Big hART stockman Okai, at Henbury. production of Ngapartji Ngapartji which they had They had five children, all of whom she had to helped create. And she was a leading figure in the bury. follow up odocumentary film Nothing Rhymes with Her young family travelled and worked together on Ngapartji. Erldunda, Mt Ebenezer, Tempe Downs and Henbury Undaunted by her disabilities she camped out stations until Okai’s premature death. bush for a week to take part in the CLC’s surveys and In the following difficult years Kunmanara consultations about a camel management project she moved between Aputula (Finke), Utju and Mission considered critical. Block in Alice Springs. Possibly through European Until the end of her life Kunmanara involved misunderstanding of her family name she became herself in family, cultural, and community affairs. A known as Dora Haggie. vigorous participant in the traditional owners’ Uluru She moved to Pukatja and became the second wife Rent Money (URM) community development project, of the late Stanley. After the customary ritual fights she was instrumental in allocating project funds to and negotiations with Stanley’s first wife, both of repair and upgrade the historical Ernabella Uniting Stanley’s families lived together happily at Tjalyiritja successful bread making project. Church. She participated in the ABC’s Compass (Young’s Well) Homeland. After her second husband’s death in 1998 program Ernabella: No Ordinary Mission, which At Tjalyiritja Kunmanara and her co-wife Tjariya Kunmanara spent desolate years at Little Sisters camp documented this journey. The church re-opened in began making batik decorated cloth with great success, in Alice Springs until she joined her and Stanley’s 2010 and this year many came to farewell her there. taking the finished work in to Ernabella Arts for sale. daughter Linda and her family at Pukatja. Together the family also established a small scale Back at Ernabella Arts her flair for batik, Hilary Furlong

20. November 2014

page 20.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:44:00 PM SORRY

PEGGY Napangardi Jones (1951- 2014) was a woman of few words who expressed herself with clarity and colour through her art. Peggy’s broad brush Born in 1951 on Phillip Creek Mission, Napangardi shared the National Gallery of Australia, her knowledge and love of her the National Gallery of Victoria, country through her art, which the Museum and Art Gallery of the was exhibited across Australia and Northern Territory and the Araluen internationally. Centre, as well public and private Napangardi started to make art collections overseas. when she joined Julalikari Council Napangardi’s humour and passion Women’s Art Program in Tennant for politics were on show when a series Creek in 1996, when she undertook of paintings was commissioned for an a Certifi cate in Arts and Crafts exhibition celebrating football at the through Batchelor College. National Gallery of Victoria in 2004. A Her life in the Barkly region, passionate Essendon fan, Napangardi on Brunchilly and Banka Banka produced a series of heraldic paintings cattle stations, in the bush, and in of AFL team colours – but with a twist. Alekarenge and Tennant Creek, Napangardi called it Geelong Nothing informed her art, giving her a rich – No Wumpurrarni Play for Cats and and boundless archive of images refused to include a team who did not, at from which to work. the time, support and engage Aboriginal No artistic medium held any footballers. She generously off ered fear for her. Her line, colour and to paint a work at a later date should composition were both controlled Geelong decide to support Aboriginal and unrestrained, as well as free of players in the not too distant future. any cultural constraints. She stated, Peggy Napangardi Jones with a turtle painting, circa 1977. Photo Paul Cockran Napangardi had three children and when questioned about her work, is survived by her daughter Jessica she was “right to paint that one”. and son Joshua (Neil). Her hard work Nail tail wallabies, bush kittens, Islander Award, fi rst in 1997 with a and willingness to share her skills, take snakes and goannas, bush fruits, plants Council grant to create three sculptures soakage painting and subsequently in risks and travel became integral to the and portraits leapt out of her paintings, for the newly opened Nyinkka Nyunyu three more exhibitions with images of ethos and reputation of Julalikari Arts prints and sculpture with vigour and Art and Culture Centre in Tennant birds and bush tucker. and Crafts as a place where all creative vibrant colour. Creek, where she exhibited her paintings Napangardi held eight solo shows endeavour was valued. Her friendship It was, however, her images of the and was included in the permanent at Alcaston Gallery in Melbourne, as and patient education of her colleagues birds and the soakages of her country exhibition of screen printed ‘Punttu’ well as holding several exhibitions in and friends will be forever remembered for which she became renowned. portraits. Canberra, Alice Springs and Sydney. with gratitude and love. Farewell PNJ. Napangardi was exhibited in the Her work has been exhibited and In 2003 she received an Australia National Aboriginal and Torres Strait collected by major institutions including Alison Alder Leader, thinker, baker and man of God

PITJANTJATJARA, Ngaanyatjarra Ernabella bakery and Nyaningu remained a baker and Yankunytjatjara speakers lost for the next decade. He made around 100 loaves of one of their foremost leaders with bread per day, which he sold for $1 each. the death of the Reverend Peter Nyaningu’s old friend Stephan Rainow said Nyaningu (1933 -7 September 2014). his nickname Cookie “really suited him, because Peter Nyaningu was both deeply he really was just like a loaf of home made bread traditional and a great forward – well rounded, lovely and warm, nourishing and thinker, instrumental in many comforting. Something everybody wants.” fundamental changes of thinking by During the homeland movement in the late his fellow people. 1970s Nyaningu established Ngarutjara, his own His father, Jacky Tjaluri homeland, close to his birthplace at the foot of Mt Mumpultjanu, and mother, Yuntjin, Woodroofe and his last home. He built houses and had walked from their home near established a garden. the WA border to the mission in the Nyaningu played his part during the intense Musgrave Ranges. Nyaningu was struggle for land rights in the 70s and 80s, drawing born some time around 1933 at a on a lifetime of experience, peacemaking, reasoning large rockhole named Iltja-iltja, near and literacy. Ngarutjara. After the early death of his beloved wife Nyaningu As a small child, Nyaningu’s worked as a cross cultural teacher at Nganyinytja parents took him and his older sister and Charlie Ilyatjari’s tourism enterprise Desert on one of CP Mountford’s camel Tracks at Angatja. They shared diff erent parts of the expeditions around the region – the same songline of Wati Ngintaka, the perentie lizard, family’s earliest photographic record. and presented selected public sections to paying By the late 1930s Nyaningu was visitors. a high achieving schoolboy, who, Ever the innovator, Nyaningu learned about according to his teacher, “was able to mixing desks and radio stations, mixing sound at read and write competently in English 5NPY Radio in Umuwa. and Pitjantjatjara”. After school, he He returned to one of his earliest experiences worked on three month contracts when he visited the State Library of SA and the looking after sheep, shearing, fencing South Australian Museum for the fi rst time to look and building yards. He could ride at the CP Mountford/Laurie Sheard photographic a horse and muster bullocks. An collection. He identifi ed the very fi rst images of what accomplished hunter, he once killed a became the Ara Irititja digital archive. They were large emu chick with a single thrown of his own father’s extended family. “We should all branch. record things, so that the children will have guidance Nyaningu took strongly to the and knowledge for their growing up and for their Christian faith and in the early 1950s lives,” he told Suzanne Bryce. he helped to construct the Ernabella As his creativity and wisdom continued to deepen church. In 1983, after four years of in his senior years, Nyaningu’s presentations and training, Nyaningu was ordained advice stayed in great demand with conferences, as a Uniting Church minister in enquiries, meetings, tourist groups, festivals and art Ernabella. “Nyaningu blossomed In the mid 1950s he accompanied Gordon Ingkatji to events. He responded tirelessly, recorded everything and took a leading role in the church,” remembers Adelaide. Over many months he worked as a gardener, and was loved by people from all walks of life. Reverend Bill Edwards. He always retained a strong in a factory, undertook an English language course A skilled wood carver, he was also an innovative connection to the church, holding many services there and learnt to play the piano: “I could only play with painter, sculptor and cultural historian. He was a as a minister. He sang with the Ernabella Choir in his one hand, but I learnt to play four parts.” philosopher and theologian, a deep thinker, and beautiful bass voice and often toured the southern In 1959 Nyaningu married Tjalara Anmanari with before he died was working on Bible translations. states. Reverend Edwards recalls Nyaningu’s role in whom he has fi ve children. The family travelled the His collection of writings, journals and diaries are changing traditional practices to accommodate modern country during holiday time with Nyaningu’s camels, unparalleled amongst his people. It is hoped that this life, including ancient burial practices: “The mission one of which wore a saddle he made. They hunted legacy is preserved for his family, his people, and for was pregnant for change and he was the midwife.” dingo scalps and traded them for stores. Australia. The world will never see another like the Nyaningu always participated in Pitjantjatjara During the 1960s Nyaningu worked with miners Reverend Peter Nyaningu. He was unique. ritual and ceremonial obligations, and was a popular and geologists in a number of exploration areas. In the dancer and singer of Law. early 70s he and his family took over and operated the Linda Rive November 2014 21.

page 21.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:52:37 PM CARING FOR COUNTRY Kalkarindji Ranger Camp

A PERFORMANCE of the Wave Hill Walkoff Dreaming by local women greeted rangers from 12 groups when they converged on Kalkarindji for the eighth annual Central Land Council ranger camp. The groups enjoyed each others’ presentations on top- ics ranging from the history of their communities and country, the stories behind their logos and their achievements of the previous year to their future plans. Delicious meals by the Warl- piri and Atitjere groups – among the winners of ‘Iron Chef’ Roy Price’s wok cook off – gave the groups strength for training. Courses in fi rst aid, chemicals awareness, quad biking and chainsawing were followed by sessions on Kurdiji law and justice with senior custodian Jerry Jangala Patrick.

The rangers learned about local history by touring Wave Hill Station and old massacre sites with Paddy Doolak and George Sambo and also practiced their interview skills with the team from CAAMA.

22. November 2014

page 22.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:38:53 PM CARING FOR COUNTRY Kiwirrkurra signs up for the world’s largest IPA

KIWIRRKURRA traditional owners have along with family from Kintore and Nyirripi, created the largest protected desert area in the the Martu Rangers and visitors from Alice world. Springs, Perth and Canberra. Since September, they are managing They danced, shared stories, 4.2 million hectares of their land as an listened to and made speeches before Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). Signing the representatives signed the declaration. IPA declaration at Wala Wala rockhole was Locals were excited about the recognition “an exciting day for all of us”, said Bobby of their IPA and said they looked forward to Tjupurrula West. getting out and caring for country. “I used to work with Ngaanyatjarra mob and went to see other ranger groups working,” said Bobby West. Lajamanu “Now we’ve got that IPA ourselves, we’ve signed it today. Northern Now it’s running we need to teach Ta na m i I PA all the young people, get elders, men and women, young people all Balgo working together. We want to burn that country to bring fresh grass, look after that bilby, everything.” Southern The new IPA creates Ta na m i I PA opportunities for custodians on the WA side of the border to work with those looking after the Northern and Southern Tanami IPAs in the NT, as Nyirripi Yuendumu well as with family in Kintore. Kiwirrkurra “I told Lindsey Corby that Kintore Kintore people are welcome to come Kiwirrkurra IPA and join in and work with us,” Mr West said. “They’re traditional owners too. We can all work and WAWA NTNT learn together,” Traditional owners are now responsible for fi re management Map Number: 2014-236c Produced: 14/10/2014 and protecting threatened species The Kiwirrkurra IPA joins the Tanami IPAs to form the world’s such as ninu (bilby) and tjalapa largest desert Indigenous Protected Area. (great desert skink). They will be hunting feral cats and other pests and looking after rock holes, The Pintupi traditional owners join soakages, sacred sites and other important other Aboriginnal groups across the places. continent in looking after their lands with They are keen to pass on traditional skills the support of the Australian government. to young people and to partner with scientists Kiwirrkurra elder Bobby West at the ceremony. The whole community attended the event, and others for two way learning.

November 2014 23.

page 23.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:14:09 AM CARING FOR COUNTRY Care message spreads like fi re

DOZENS of traditional own- ers have taken part in the CLC’s new fi re management project. The new four year proj- ect allows the CLC to involve communities that haven’t had help with burning coun- try before. During the project’s fi rst 12 months the CLC worked with people from Kintore, Elliott, Mutitjulu, Tempe Downs, Docker River, Dagu- ragu, Lajamanu and Tennant Creek to plan fi re manage- ment work, visits to country and conduct burning for the fi rst time. Guided by senior tradi- tional owners people trav- elled to and burned country not visited for a long time, such as the north of Lake MacKay and the Karlanti- jpa North Aboriginal Land Trust. The CLC’s $2.2million grant from the Australian government gives more tradi- “It off ers young people training and “The project also works with neigh- temporary and Traditional Fire Man- tional owners the opportunity to man- employment, as well as a chance for bours and other organisations, for ex- agement across Central Australia, is age fi re and enjoy all the other benefi ts people to look at options for managing ample pastoral properties, Indigenous funded by the Federal Government’s of being on country. their country.” Protected Areas, national parks and biodiversity fund. “Fire management is a proven way By August 35 people had attended Bushfi res NT,” he said. It allows the CLC to employ tradi- to engage communities in land manage- planning meetings and 74 people had The new project, which goes under tional owners and two fi re management ment,” said CLC director David Ross. been on fi eld trips. the offi cial name of Extending Con- offi cers. Consider a cadetship From page 15 “I’ve always set my sights on large organisations and infl uential corpora- tions at an international level but I’ve started to consider working in smaller places because the work that’s done by the CLC is clearly really good for Cen- tral Australia.,” she says. “And having the people want to see you make it through for possible employment and the networks for advice are invaluable.” Darren Kruger Darren Kruger, 29, lived in Alice Springs for eight years after high school and then moved to Queensland before going to Adelaide to study at university. Darren became a cadet this year after the CLC’s Computer Services man- ager, Michael Latz encouraged him to apply while he was doing casual work in the department last year. He has a primary school-aged daughter, so coming up for work placement from Adelaide where he is studying a Bachelor of Information Technology at the University of South Australia takes some planning but he says the ben- efi ts make it worthwhile. “One of the best things about the cadetships is the experience you get,” says Darren. Walking with art and culture “ I felt I was lacking that when I applied for jobs. You learn all the theory at Uni and then with the work placement at CLC, you get to apply that here in practical ways.” Darren hopes to do more network engineering for computer systems ad- all the go for Larapinta Trail ministration and security after completing his studies. His hot tip for school- leavers: keep an eye out for these great opportunities. HIKERS can now enjoy works from there,” she said. “We got chosen to do Central Australian Aboriginal artists at the work of our own country and we shelters along the Larapinta trail. have a responsibility for that place.” Darren Kruger, IT cadet at the CLC Paintings by Rhonda Inkamala, Dale Ms Young said it was important visi- Campbell, Doreen Carroll, Trudy Inka- tors got an opportunity to understand mala, Jane Young, Kathy Inkamala, the story for the country. Clara Inkamala, Kathleen France and “Share the story with the grandkids Noreen Hudson feature on cupboard too,” she said. “People visiting that doors at shelters at Simpsons Gap, Jay country get to know.” Creek, Serpentine Gorge and Finke Riv- The Central Land Council’s joint er. management officer supported artists Traditional owners from the Tjoritja through the five month project by nego- West MacDonnell Ranges joint manage- tiating license agreements that protect ment committee decided which artists the artists’ rights, supplying the art ma- with cultural and family links to the terials and recording the stories of fin- sites would paint the art works. ished canvases for future generations. The artworks depict stories of sig- Minister for Parks and Wildlife, Bess nificance to the areas, with themes such Price, whose department commissioned as clapsticks, coolamons and spears. the paintings, launched the Larapinta Eagles, goanna, wild orange, honey tree, Trail Indigenous Art Project at Simp- summer fruits and wild passionfruit sons Gap in September. also feature. “We’ve listened to what visitors Jane Young painted the story of her want and many have expressed a desire father and grandfather’s country. to learn more about the cultural values “That Serpentine (Gorge), that’s along the trail,” she said. eagle dreaming, that dreaming belongs

24. November 2014

page 24.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:14:27 AM CARING FOR COUNTRY It’s all about the group, says top ranger Craig

LEADERSHIP, commitment, integrity and a touch of humour are some of the qualities that make Tjuwanpa ranger group co-ordinator Craig Le- Rossignol the Central Australian Ranger of the Year. Craig began working at the Central Land Coun- cil in January 2013 as ranger group support offi cer, working with six groups - Atitjere (Harts Range), Ti Tree, Santa Teresa, Kaltukatjara (Docker Riv- er), Ntaria (Hermannsburg) and Papunya during his fi rst year. Craig showed great commitment, often rising above expectations to ensure projects were com- pleted to a high standard. He provided relief to ranger group co-ordina- tors while they were on leave, and worked along- side co-ordinators and rangers on a number of projects. Craig has an excellent understanding of cul- tural and natural resource management and demonstrated his cultural knowledge and support for traditional owners. Completion of several fencing projects in the Atitjere area and Dulcie Ranges National Park was a highlight of his team leadership and prac- tical skills, as was a week long fauna survey on part of the Katiti Petermann Land Trust near Craig LeRossignol (left) with Damien Williams, Paddy Doolak and George Sambo at the 2014 CLC Rangers Camp. Kaltukatjara. After only 12 months as support offi cer Craig took on a full ranger group co-ordinator role in I’m not looking at it as a personal reward. CLC gave puts too much impact on the environment,” he said. the Tjuwanpa ranger group in Ntaria. me a chance and I brought that award back for us all. “Working in this fi eld has opened my mind and He manages a team of 11 rangers across fi ve land “Some of the crew say ‘aye boss’ and I say ‘I’m not eyes to the problems. You can really see how neces- trusts and also contributes to projects on West Mac- your boss, we all family here.’” sary this work is. Donnell Ranges NT Parks. Craig said his experiences at his Oak Valley home- “You think a gecko is a gecko but when you fi nd “I was daunted by the workload but after talking land of Mpwelarre (meaning rainbow) and growing out there’s 20 diff erent kinds, it reminds you that to Shannon [Landers], he urged me to take it on. Mike up around cattle meant he’d always had a sense of everything has its place.” [Carmody] also encouraged me,” said Craig. caring for country. “Interaction with communities and people is vital. “The award itself was a group thing, it’s a credit to “You can’t leave too much (cattle) in one area, that People call it pathways but it’s really a big road!” all the rangers and co-ordinators that have helped me. Strong governance gives control

TWO remote organisations are simultaneously the launch and “demonstration sites” of a pro- gram to support strong governance and man- agement in Aboriginal organisations across the NT. The Aboriginal Governance and Manage- ment Program is the latest initiative of the Abo- riginal Peak Organisations NT (APO NT). David Ross, director of the Central Land Council and APO NT member, said the program would improve Aboriginal wellbeing because Aboriginal organisations were the major em- ployers of and service providers to Aboriginal people in communities. “Many Aboriginal organisations are strong, operating well and need little assistance,” Mr Ross said. “The program will learn from the successful organisations and use this knowledge to assist those organisations who ask for support. This is part of self determination.” The program’s fi rst two demonstration sites are organisations at Utopia in Central Australia and Borroloola, each receiving up to 12 months support. The program plans two additional sites. Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation at Uto- pia hopes good governance will help it run the large Stronger Communities for Children Pro- gram there. Director Dennis Kunoth said the demonstra- tion site opportunity was “a really important thing for us people here involved as directors and members.” Director Dennis Kunoth (left) and deputy Esau Nelson signing up Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation Members “will be able to talk up more,” he as a governance demonstration site Director Dennis Kunoth (left) and deputy Esau Nelson signing said, and it will “make our directors aware of up Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation as a governance demonstration site. their responsibilities.” The other demonstration site is Mabunji Ab- original Resource Centre at Borroloola. It runs a collaborations that achieve lasting governance im- governance,” said Mr Ross. number of services and social enterprises employing provements – learnings that can help other organisa- “But eff ective governance has one thing in com- 142 workers of which nearly 90 per cent are local Abo- tions. mon: it puts Aboriginal people back in the driver’s seat riginal people. The program already runs governance workshops of their development.” Mabunji has requested some specifi c supports to and hosts bi-monthly teleconferences of a network of Federal Government funded until APO NT’s large further strengthen these operations. NT Aboriginal organisation representatives who ad- Aboriginal governance summit held in Tennant Creek “The program wants to research how we became vise each other. last year. strong, and in return they are going to help us with It gives ad hoc advice and a range of resources and It will become the NT Centre for Aboriginal Gov- governance things that we have identifi ed we would referrals, such as for pro bono legal advice. And it has ernance and Management if further funded. like to improve on,” said Mabunji chair Annie Roberts. commissioned research into sector-wide networks, APO NT is an alliance of the Central and Northern It’s expected Urapuntja and Mabunji will demon- governance models and best practice examples. land councils, the Aboriginal health body AMSANT strate governance strengths, challenges, changes and “There is no one-size-fi ts-all model of Aboriginal and Aboriginal legal services CAALAS and NAAJA. November 2014 25.

page 25.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:14:40 AM ARTS

Dancing up a dust storm

THE crowd danced so hard they kicked up a dust storm at this year’s annual Bush Bash in Alice Springs. Organisers reported that more than 2000 fans came though the door to ex- perience a rare concentra- tion of talent from across the Centre and beyond, with Blekbala Mujik the biggest name on the bill. Also performing were the Barkly Boys from Tennant Creek , the Ki- wirrkurra Band, Musgare from Amata, North Tanami Band from Lajamanu, Ray- ella from Marlinja, Kin- tore’s Running Water and the Desert Divas. The camaraderie among the bands was intense, with bands dedicating songs to each other and returning to the stage for an unforget- table fi nale with Blekbala Mujic. Most of the perform- ers had attended the Bush bands Business Skills De- velopment camp before the big gig. Emu fusion wins NIMA award AMPILATWATJA band Desert Sevenz has won Community Music Clip of the Year at the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) ceremony in Darwin. Cassius Morton, Cleveland Holmes, Tarantino Morton and Preston Payne took home the award for their track Fly Back Home which was featured on the DVD The Alyawarr Sessions. The track was created with Desert Pea Media and is a fusion of contemporary and traditional story that samples on location recordings of the sacred Emu Dreaming ceremony. Fly Back Home was created during a four week mentoring program in Ampilatwatja and Wu- tunugurra, funded by the Barkly Regional Council. “In the build up to the event the fellas were nervous and excited. When it was announced on the night that Desert Sevenz had won, the crowd went wild,” said council worker Nicole Watts. Preston thanked Ampilatwatja community for all their support and help in getting them to the awards ceremony. “We were incredibly proud of the guys,” said council president Barbara Shaw.

ABOVE: Cassius Morton, Tarantino Morton, Cleveland Holmes, Preston Payne from Desert Sevenz, Desert Pea Media Director Toby Finlayson and Music Producer Joel Westlake up on stage to receive the NIMA Award from host Bernard Namok. LEFT: Ampilatwatja men prepare for a scene from the video clip Fly Back Home which was featured on the DVD The Alyawarr Sessions. To view the clip go to http://indigitube.com. au/warlpiri/item/1678 26. November 2014

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“Our temples are built in the ground. Our castles are in the dirt. We ourselves are written in the stars”. From The Shadow King with Tom E.Lewis as King Lear, Jada Alberts as Cordelia Borrowing the bard for a parable of power

LANGUAGE, politics and family relationships are at the heart of bush communi- peratives of capitalism. In this version, Lear’s blindness and vanity, his fundamen- ties. Now they are taking centre stage across the country in The Shadow King. tal error, is to believe that he has the right to own and distribute land,” wrote the Shakespeare meets shaking spears in this interpretation of King Lear, a play the ABC’s arts reviewer Alison Croggon. great writer produced in the sixteenth century. Getting too old to do his job, Lear The characters raise issues of cultural identity - can ‘swamp turtles’ swim as (played by Tom E. Lewis) looks to share his kingdom between his three daughters deep as their saltwater cousins? - and language is central. The dialogue is a mixture but his plans backfire and his family ends up paying the price. of modern English, Aboriginal and Kriol languages; Yumpla Tok (Torres Strait Cre- The reworking of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy is described by the Malthouse ole), Kala Lagaw Ya (Torres Strait Creole), Gupapuyngu (Yolnga), Katherine Kriol Theatre as a sprawling, blood soaked tale of two Indigenous families in Australia’s and Baard. north. This examination of kinship and country echoes the nation’s history. An all Aboriginal rock band performs live on stage, including Bart Willoughby Co-created by Lewis and Michael Kantor, the play makes strong parallels be- (No Fixed Address), Selwyn Burns (Coloured Stone, No Fixed Address) and Jida tween Elizabethan England and Aboriginal Australia. Lear’s plans to give away his Gulpilil on the yidaki. land raise questions about land ownership and land rights, as Cordelia pours red Other Indigenous performers and crew include actors Jada Alberts, Jimi Bani, sand through her father’s hands as Gough Whitlam did through Vincent Lingiari’s. Frances Djulibing, Rarriwuy Hick, Damion Hunter, Kamahi Djordon King and Na- “Indigenous traditions of belonging are brought into naked conflict with the im- tasha Wanganeen. Bangarra 25th birthday bush bash to say thanks

To celebrate its 25th anniversary Bangarra Dance Theatre had its larg- est ever regional tour of Australia, visiting bush areas and spending time on country with Indigenous communities from September until November 2014 – performing in theatres, arts centres, on basketball courts and at beach amphitheaters. From 17 September 2014, the company spent time in remote Aborigi- nal and Torres Strait Islander communities with cultural residencies in Broome (WA), Yirrkala (North East Arnhem Land, NT), Mutitjulu & Umuwa (Central Desert, NT), and Thursday Island (Torres Strait Islands). To conclude each residency, the dancers will perform Spirit, encompassing iconic Bangarra works, Bangarra says their performanc- es are inspired by the lives of the Indigenous people of Australia – both past and present. From 3 October 2014 until 6 November, Kinship, a double bill of two acclaimed works choreographed by Artistic Director Stephen Page (Brolga and ID), were performed at the Darwin Entertainment Centre, the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs, the Adelaide Festival Centre, the Cairns Civic Theatre and the Pilbeam Theatre in Rockhampton.

Artistic Director Stephen Page said, “On the occasion of Bangarra’s anniversary, this regional tour is the time of year I’ve been longing for. Taking the dance ensemble to many of Australia remote Indigenous communities, spending time with them and performing our work to them is our way to say thank you for their trust. We are in awe of the First Nations people and my heartfelt appreciation goes to them.” November 2014 27.

page 27.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:11:40 PM ARTS The Warlpiri view of things REMEMBERING the Future looks at how yapa (Warlpiri for Aboriginal people) have interacted with kartiya (non Aboriginal people), as seen through their artworks of nearly a century. Author Melinda Hickson examines how anthropologists encouraged Warlpiri speak- ers to draw on paper so they could better un- derstand their culture. But, says Hickson, yapa were also using these new tools to interpret kartiya culture and the impact it was having on their lives. Central to the book is a series of draw- ings created by 21 men and three women in 1953 and 1954 at the request of anthropolo- gist Mervyn Meggitt when he was living at Lajamanu. There are also artworks collected at the Yuendumu School in the 1960s, and others from more recent years. Meggitt collected more than 200 draw- ings, but yapa men marked 50 of them as “inappropriate” for public display in 1980. Hickson includes drawings such as Larry Jungarrayi’s The windmill and water tanks at Hooker Creek and The malaka’s house, which focuses on the windows of Lajama- nu’s ‘white boss’. “He used to see this window close up from where he was staying or maybe walk- ing around. Maybe every morning he walked past this house?” wonders Tess Napaljarri, adopted daughter of Jungarrayi’s brother. Writes Hickson: “Napaljarri implies that we should interpret this drawing as a marker of Larry Jungarrayi’s curiosity with white man’s ways.” There are also drawings yapa made in in Landscape in the desert, by Abe Jangala, Hooker Creek 1953-4. Meggitt Collection, AIATSIS. the 1930s for Olive Pink, whose account of a bush picnic she shared with a yapa family is included. Miss Pink’s description of her friend- ships with yapa and her high opinion of their culture contrast strikingly with accounts of ... then and now their dealings with others, such as pastoralist Bill Braitling. Braitling drove yapa away from Piki- lyi, “an area containing the most precious places in Warlpiri country: valuable perma- nent sources of water, a network of natural springs and water holes, with surrounding country replenished by these water sustain- ing rich hunting grounds and other sources of food,” according to Hickson. The World War One soldier-settler was widely reported for his cruel treatment of Aboriginal people. After losing their best country to Braitling, many had to work in his wolfram mines in exchange for rations. They faced floggings if they went near the springs. Hickson also included several drawings that refer to the 1928 Coniston massacre and the events leading up to it in the book. But, looking across nine decades of Warl- piri life, the author notes that many yapa are at least as interested in the present and the ABOVE: On the left. possibilities of the future as they are in past a photograph of the events and traditions. Superintendent’s House “Just as the media of song, story and at Hooker Creek, taken drawing become mechanisms for holding on by anthropologist to lost places, they also provide the means by Mervyn Megitt while he was living in hooker which people can picture themselves in new Creek in 1953 and 1954. places,” she writes. TOP RIGHT: A crayon drawing by Larry Jungarrayi of the same residence, created in the same period; The malaka’s house, Hooker Creek. It was among -XQJDUUD\LåVİUVW drawings after he was supplied with artworks by Meggitt. RIGHT: Remembering the scene of her father’s shooting, drawing by Liddy Napananga Walker, Yuendumu, 2011

28. November 2014

page 28.indd 1 20/10/2014 12:15:36 PM ARTS How they brought Lady Mungo home THE SKELETON of a young woman discov- ered at ancient dry Lake Mungo helped to prove what is now an accepted fact: Aboriginal people have looked after this land for at least 40,000 years. The relationship between the descendants of “Lady Mungo” and the custodians of the lake in south western New South Wales on one hand, and the scientists who fought for the rec- ognition of the significance of the find on the other, has become the subject of a new docu- mentary. Message from Mungo examines what both groups have learned from each other in 40 years of interaction around one of the world’s richest archaeological sites. When, in 1968, scientist Jim Bowler came across some unusual materials exposed by erosion, archaeologist Rhys Jones identified them as the remains of a young woman who had been given a ritual cremation. The discovery caused a lot of excitement and debate among academics around the world because it showed how long Aboriginal people had lived in Australia. Through the 1970s and 80s, led by three re- markable Aboriginal women – Alice Kelly, Tib- by Briar and Alice Bugmy – and encouraged by archaeologist Isabel McBryde, Aboriginal groups associated with Mungo began to ques- tion the work of the scientists. They became increasingly involved in the management of their work. In 1992, after much pressure from Indigenous groups, the remains of Mungo Lady were handed back to the In- digenous custodians. The handback ceremo- ny was a turning point in the relationship be- tween scientists and the local custodians. The film is a rare creative collaboration be- tween a professional historian (Ann McGrath) and a filmmaker (Andrew Pike). It tells the story of the conflicts between both camps and their resolution as a moving tale of the gradu- al empowerment of the traditional custodians. Eight years in the making, Message from Mungo is a new story that has not been repre- sented in print or film before. It’s told entirely by actual participants from both the scientific and Indigenous perspectives and is based on extensive consultation with members of the Indigenous communities at Mungo. At times it comes across as a ‘how to’ guide for dealing with intercultural communication and conflict, so similar are the issues it raises to those faced by many Indigenous communi- ties and the outsiders they engage with. Touch of Disney animates Alfie’s age old discovery AN INDIGENOUS artist who makes cartoons for the Walt Disney stu- dio has given the ‘Disney touch’ to a new children’s book about the ad- ventures of a young Aboriginal boy. Alfie’s Big Wish is the sequel to David Hardy’s Alfie’s Search For Destiny, also published by Magabla Books. The book follows Alfie’s quest for companionship after his friends leave his community. The other children are bigger and older, and the various animals he encounters all have friends of their own. So Al- fie makes a wish. Magabala Books said the Barkindji artist and author David Hardy had worked more than eight years in the Walt Disney animation studios. The freelance illustrator specialises in character design, portraits and caricatures. Says Magabala: “After becoming a father, David realised how lost and disori- ented children can become throughout their growing years. He believes there is nothing more important than family.”

November 2014 29.

page 29.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:15:38 AM SOCIAL

TOP LEFT: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year Yupunu Fiona Marika (centre) with fellow fi nalist and Diploma in Education Support student Monica Robinson (centre right) from Walungurra School in Kintore were joined by Batchelor Institute’s Dr Peter Stephenson, Beverley Watters (right) and Melanie Campbell. TOP RIGHT: ‘The Magnifi cent 7’ take a break from the July Council meeting in Tennant Creek (l-r); Shaun Wickham, John Duggie, Phillip Coomes, Frank Holmes, Pat Murphy, Michael Liddle and Casey Holmes. ABOVE: Academic rangers; this group of CLC rangers graduated with Certifi cate II in Conservation and Land Management and had colleagues and supervisors celebrate their efforts with them.

ABOVE: Spreading the messages; Alice Springs town councillor Chansey Paech talked with First Nations lawyer Corey Hinton about legal issues affecting Indigenous peoples during a US trip to the United Nations in New York in August. He also left him with a bit of reading from Central Australia.

Clockwise from bottom right: Penny Watson (left) and Heloise Kortekaas (right) with Anmatyerre rangers, Lynette Woods, Serena Presley and Suzina Haines. Ltyentye Apurte Rangers (l-r), Paul Oliver, Malcolm Hayes and Richard Furber take a break with Muru-Warinyi Ankkul Ranger Clayton Namatjira (second from left). Joel Liddle and Richard ‘Woe’ Foster from the employment unit. Anthropology research offi cer Geoffery Matthews (right)and ranger group assistant co-ordinator Shane McMasters. Tennant Creek ranger Anthea Graham (left) and library co-ordinator Amy O’Donoghue. Pastoral development offi cer Alistair McDonald (left) with Wulaign rangers Jeffrey (Jnr.) Matthews and Jonathan Dixon (right).

30. November 2014

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November 2014 31.

page 31.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:17:22 AM BABIES Clockwise from bottom left: Nakita Furber gave birth a little earlier than expected to baby Winston Bubs on 9th August 2014. Baby Sunsuella Heffernan Price (born October 2013), daughter of Viviene Price and Glen Heffernan. Deanne Cook & Zac Harvey with their beautiful baby girl Skylah (born on 8th Dec 2013). CENTRAL Milikya Mulladad (born 23rd January 2014), another beautiful daughter for Levina Abbott & Donovan Mulladad from Santa Teresa. Kaley Drew already in & training as a CLC ranger. Tacita Bird (born March 23rd Babies 2014), fi rst baby for Chantelle Karrer & Kennedy Bird. Mum Shakita Linder and baby Izobel, Celesta Haywood with baby Zimera (born 2nd April 2014). Shontara Moketerinja celebrated her 1st birthday on July 29th 2014 with Mum Tanya, Dad Baxter and Grandmother Hedwig. Centre: Larnisha (born 17th January 2014) with proud Mummy Shauna Williams from Santa Teresa. Photos courtesy of the Family Partnership Program, Alukura.

32. November 2014

page 32.indd 1 20/10/2014 11:45:01 AM INTERNATIONAL Bondas’ battle for balance SCATTERED across 31 remote hilltop villag- es in its eastern Odisha state, the Upper Bon- da people are one of India’s country’s most ancient tribes. This community of fewer than 7,000 peo- ple is struggling to maintain its way of life and provide for a younger generation frus- trated with inter communal violence. Recent government schemes to improve the Bonda people’s access to land is open- ing doors to high-school education. But with these changes come questions about the fu- ture of the tribe. In a windowless mud hut, Saniya Kirsani talks loudly and drunkenly about his plans for the acre of land for which he recently ac- quired the title. The 50 year old Bonda man wants to set up a mango orchard to produce the fruity liquor that keeps him drunk. But for his wife, Hadi Kirsani, the land deeds mean that their 14 year old son, Buda Kirsani, can finally go back to school. He dropped out after completing fifth grade in early 2013 because his family could not afford the cost of the nearest public high school in Mudulipada. Without a land ownership document to certify the family’s tribal status the local tribal resident school would not take him in. Last October, with the help of Landesa, a global non profit organisation working on land rights for the poor, Buda’s family final- ly got the deed to their land from the Odisha government. Carefully placing Buda’s only two sets of worn clothes into a bag, Hadi holds back tears as she reveals that her son is now one of 31 chil- per Bonda people into the mainstream, providing edu- itself as a result of Bonda men’s quick tempers, their dren from the 44 household village who can go to high cation, better sanitation and drinking water facilities, taste for alcohol and fierce protection of their wives. school for the first time. and land rights. High infant mortality, alcoholism and unsanitary Only one in 12 Upper Bonda men can read and Social activists like 34 year old Dambaru Sisa be- living conditions, in close proximity to pigs and poul- write, while only one in 6 women are literate. lieve ‘mainstreaming’ the Bonda community is crucial try, combined with a lack of nutritional food, supersti- The Bonda people’s ancient Remo language is for its survival. tions about diseases and lack of medical facilities are passed down from mouth to mouth. Orphaned as a child and educated at a Christian taking their toll. As hunters and foragers, the community has lived missionary school, Sisa now holds a double Masters’ Despite a glaring need for change, experts say it for many generations off the surrounding forests, trad- degree in mathematics and law. will not come easy. ing millet, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, yams, fruits, “Our cultural identity, especially our unique Remo “Getting Bonda children to high school is half the berries and wild spinach in local markets. dialect, must be preserved,” he said. “At the same time, battle won,” Sisa stated. “However, there are ques- Until recently, most Upper Bondas wove and traded with increased awareness, [the] customs and supersti- tion marks on the quality of education in residential their own cloth made from a plant called ‘kereng’, and tions harming our people will slowly be eradicated.” schools.” The problem, Sisa says, is that instead of be- had little need to enter mainstream society. He cited the Upper Bonda people’s customary mar- ing taught in their mother tongue, students are forced But deforestation has degraded their land and riages – with women generally marrying boys who are to study in the Odia language or a more mainstream streams. Unreliable rainfall over the last decade has roughly ten years younger – as one of the practices local tribal dialect, which none of them understand. rduced their harvest, and the forest department’s re- harming his community. The government says it is willing to lower the qual- fusal to allow traditional ‘slash and burn’ cultivation Women traditionally manage the household, while ifications for teachers in order to attract Bondas teach- has made it difficult for the community to feed itself. men and boys are responsible for hunting and gather- ers to the classrooms. Since 1976, efforts have been made to bring the Up- ing food. They are trained in archery but possession of weapons often leads to brawls within the community Sudan’s war veterans plant seeds of peace

check the health of the crops and Simon Agustino is the programme to see what’s ready for the mar- officer at Mennonite Central Committee, ket.” or MCC, in South Sudan. Since the conflict began be- “The veterans had no hope and no tween the government forces of way to provide for their families,” Agus- South Sudan President Salva tino told IPS. “People thought he was Kiir and the rebel forces of for- wasting his time with digging. But he mer Vice President Riek Machar didn’t give up.” in December 2013, 1.5 million MCC provided him with some capital have been displaced from their for leasing the land, the training of ben- homes. eficiaries, fruit and vegetable produc- Three and a half million tion, farm supplies and tools. South Sudanese are threatened According to Agustino, most SPLA by hunger, according to the Food veterans take up crime after being de- and Agriculture Organisation of commissioned, but Lodingareng has a the United Nations (FAO). vision for the future of South Sudan. Lodingareng said getting a “I did my part to put my country on plot of land along the Nile River the path to self determination,” Lodin- was difficult with many inter- gareng said. “Now my approach is to national investors wanting this work hard.” prime agricultural real estate. Londingareng fought with the SPLA ALONG the fertile banks of sub Saha- kilometres from Juba, South Sudan’s So far this year he has transformed the from 1985 to 2008. ran Africa’s White Nile, a war veteran’s capital. Here they grow nearly 1.5 hec- field with long grass and weeds into a MCC is looking at ways to start a co-op is planting for a food secure future tares of vegetables. garden with okra, kale, mulukhiyah peace and reconciliation programme in famine threatened South Sudan. “I have seven active members in the (jute leaves) and coriander. with the help of WVA. “He has many Wilson Abisai Lodingareng, 65, is a group, all former SPLA [Sudan People’s “I’m looking at expanding to grow ideas on how to end the conflict,” Agus- farmer and founder of Werithior Vet- Liberation Army] troops. I call them food crops like maize, potatoes, car- tino said. eran’s Association, or WVA, in Juba, when it’s time to weed the garden,” rots and eggplant,” he said. “The first South Sudan. The association is a group Lodingareng said. year has been a struggle. The next year of 15 farmers who tend to a garden six “I visit once a day, each morning, to should be much better.”

November 2014 33.

page 33.indd 1 17/10/2014 10:17:15 AM SPORT Ntaria youth get their place for the future

AFTER seven years of planning and with Alice Springs preparation, the young people of Ntar- designer Elliat Rich ia can now enjoy sports, music and reg- on installing durable ular discos at a new youth centre. outdoor cement seat- ing. The community opened the facilities in May during the Ntaria sports week- Nicholas said every- end. An all-star band featuring Sammy one enjoys the activi- Butcher from the Warumpi Band and ties on offer and even Golden Guitarist Warren H Williams visitors take notice of performed while Bayden Williams the new space. and Edward Rontji christened the new stage. “A lot of the activities are sports based: bas- Youth program team member Nicholas ketball, football, soft- Williams has worked in the space since ball and sometimes it opened and said it has become a posi- cricket,” he said. tive focal point in the town. “We have movie “It gives all the youth a space to hang The community used a grant from the CAYLUS holds a lease on the building nights and concerts out, they know they got this area that’s Aboriginals Benefit Account (ABA) to and makes it available to the youth pro- often. Sometimes the muso’s use the theirs,” said Nicholas. establish the site and resurface and cov- gram and other agencies. music studio, but a lot of people from er the basketball court (pictured above) other communities, even tourists are “The youth activities were at the school at the centre of the facility. Importantly, the government also con- surprised at how flash the building is.” before and closer to teacher’s houses, tributed 10 years of operational funding they’d get bored and muck around there. The federal government then commit- so that Ntaria can keep it in good work- It’s good we’ve got the new hall near the ted the rest of the funding which paid ing order well into the future. oval to keep kids away from residential for the construction of the hall, ablu- area and there’s a disco every Friday tions and change rooms. To make the space feel even more like if all the kids behave. We have after theirs, local school students school care and children have to behave designed metal panels with there or else they don’t get rewarded artist Alison Hittman that with the discos.” have been mounted around the building (pictured left Before the new youth centre was and right). built, youth activities were run in a small building in the heritage pre- They include a landscape cinct, which had poor ventilation sketch of the nearby rang- and was run-down. The Central es as the centrepiece, Australian Youth Link Up Service painted by teenage girls (CAYLUS) started working with from the school. people in Ntaria towards a new youth centre in 2005. The Hermannsburg Pot- ters have also been working Healthy fun: sports weekends and coming together

FOOTBALL and softball teams from nine desert including gospel singers, the famous Tjintu Desert the Animparrinpi Yututju Aboriginal Women’s communities came together for Mount Liebig’s sports Band and local young women skilfully playing the new Corporation, which supported community members weekend in August. musical instruments from the Mt Liebig music project. to buy uniforms, sports equipment, trophies and Families young and old travelled hundreds of “It was Palya Lingku!” said community lease injury prevention equipment. kilometres to enjoy healthy fun and top quality football, money working group member Norma Kelly. “We were really happy with our sports weekend,” with Kintore (Division One) and Hermannsburg “It was great that we used our money for this local resident and key sports weekend organiser (Division Two) winning their grand fi nals by a few weekend and shared it with the whole community. Melvin Malbunka said. points. They have new equipment to play with. I felt really “There were some very strong footballers out there The softball games were also hard fought, with proud of our young people.” playing, and the standard of the competition was high. Laramba winning the A grade and the local girls from Mt Liebig community members devoted $16,500 The entertainment was fun, and the girls played great Warren Creek taking home the B grade trophy. of their community lease money to fund the music!” The evening entertainment was a great success, sports weekend. This project was managed by

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34. November 2014 SPORT

ABOVE: PAW Media staff went all out to get the weekend’s action on the TV and radiowaves. Dennis Jupurrurla Charles panelling the live broadcast and Shane Jupurrurla White on camera

PAW Media & Communications partnered with Indigenous Community Television (ICTV) for the fi rst live television broadcast and webcast of a remote community sports festival at the renowned Yuendumu Sports Weekend. At the annual event held on the fi rst weekend of August, audiences from around remote Australia tuned in to ICTV, Channel 601 on the VAST network. They watched the Battle of the Bands on the Saturday night and live football on Sunday and Monday afternoons, with the grand fi nal match played out on the Tuesday afternoon. Remote communities as far as Warakurna and Balgo in Western Australia could see the 14 teams battling it out for their chance to hold up the trophy. Papunya community got the honour of watching their team on TV, taking on the Yuendumu Magpies, who won the grand fi nal. Community media crews worked as tirelessly as the athletes over the entire four day event to cover all the softball, basketball and football action on radio and on camera. ICTV is already planning to host a number of live broadcasts in the near future. PAW Media has long advocated for media by and for communities. The broad/webcast is a new opportunity for remote Indigenous Australia. It marks a new chapter in the history of television in the bush and provides much needed, positive vision of a remote community unfi ltered by the mainstream media. PAW Media and ICTV overcame lots of the technical challenges involved with transferring live video from Yuendumu to Alice Springs using a combination of satellite and internet technology.

Clockwise from below: Yuendumu players and family celebrate another successful sports weekend. The Yuendumu 0DJSLHVWHDPDIWHUWKHJUDQGİQDOZLQ1\UULSL'HPRQVVKRZ their pride. Utopia Crows were happy to cross the highway for the run on the Yuendumu paddock.

November 2014 35.

page 35.indd 1 20/10/2014 3:13:19 PM All Together Now

With 113 Aboriginal staff out of a total of 235 the CLC is one of the largest employers of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. Many of its employees are based in remote communities and have limited opportunties to socialise with their colleagues in Tennant &UHHNRU$OLFH6SULQJV7KH&/&åVİUVWDOOVWDIIGD\VHWRXWWRFKDQJHWKLV Over 200 CLC workers from bush and town came together in July to get to know each other better, learn about each other’s work and HQMR\IXQDQGSUDFWLFDOKDQGVRQZRUNVKRSVE\VWDIIIRUVWDII6WDIIKDGDFKDQFHİQGRXWDERXWWKH&/&åVKLVWRU\DQGGLUHFWLRQDQGWR quiz the director, David Ross. %XWLWZDVQåWDOOZRUN:XODLJQUDQJHU'LRQ.HOO\ZRQDEUDQGQHZEOXHVZDJIRUFRPLQJİUVWLQWKHVZDJUROOLQJFRPSHWLWLRQDQGPDQ\ DVWDIIPHPEHUZHQWKRPHIHHOLQJPRUHFRQİGHQWDERXWW\LQJDORDGRIVZDJVRQDWURRSLHRUFRRNLQJDFDPSRYHQPHDO VHHSDJH  Want to join the CLC? Check out our stories on p.15!

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