Anindilyakwa Land Council’s

Ayakwa

One People. One Voice. anindilyakwa.com.au

30 Bougainvillea DrivePO Box 172Alyangula NT 0885

INSIDE THIS ISSUE• College tour for

reference group, page 3

• Lobby for NT treaty, page 4

• Helicopter air surveys, page 6

• Solar power trials, page 7

ANCIENT culture fused with modern fashion when Anindilyakwa art made its debut on the catwalk at the Commonwealth Games in Queensland.

An impressive 12-look showcase of Anindilyakwa work was selected for the fashion show, Intertwined, which combined dance, music, art and textiles to celebrate Indigenous culture.

Curator Grace Lillian Lee put together looks with the Anindilyakwa art, including sarongs, t-shirts, singlets, silk jewellery, seed jewellery and accessories.

Artists, basketballers at Commonwealth games

Continued Page 4.

BIG MOMENT: Groote Eylandt artists Maisie Lalara, Annabell Amagula and Bernadette Watt with Intertwined models and curator Grace Lillian Lee.

REWARD: Dayron Pascoe, Rayshaun Maminyamanja and Travis Kennell saw Canada take on New Zealand and were treated to a meet and greet with the Canadian men’s team.

| Newsletter April/May 2018

More police following crime spateMORE police were posted on Groote in March following a serious crime spate.

Snr Sgt Tanya Woodcock from Alyangula Police told the ALC they were working hard to

reduce crime.

The GEBIE board has also followed through on threats to close its Social Program office for a day if more of its premises or assets were

vandalised, broken into or stolen.

To report suspicious behaviour, call 8987 6122 (Alyangula Police) or 000 for emergencies.

THE Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) will spend $1million to connect 20 locations over three islands.

The ALC has been lobbying for mobile phone and broadband connections across many sites, particularly for the new cultural centres in Angurugu, Umbakumba and Milyakburra.

AirBridge Networks and Calibre One came together in partnership to look at a design solution that would combine fibre and wireless to deliver high bandwidth connectivity to all 20 sites across the three islands, with the view of adding future sites.

The network is expected to overcome both the social and digital/technology divides that hold back development in many Indigenous communities.

ALC chief executive Mark Hewitt said it was a big investment in the future of the communities.

“We are excited to be taking this action now, as we expect that this infrastructure will support the work and culture of traditional owners for years to come,” Mark said.

The network will allow the ALC to take advantage of the most up to date technological network capabilities, such as cloud computing and associated applications, in a cost effective manner.

The network will also deploy switching, firewalling and WiFi across all sites.

AirBridge Networks chief executive Douglas Stephens said connectivity was no longer a luxury but a necessity.

“Delivering this technology to the ALC now will open opportunity and remove the digital divide that has hampered these communities,” Douglas said.

The ALC is particularly excited about how the AirBridge network will be used in the future facilitating the roll out of IoT technology, specifically to monitor and maintain power and water across the region’s facilities.

$1m deal to connect Groote on Airbridge network

SEALINK NT has started a regular bus service on Groote Eylandt.

A bus departs from the Alyangula ferry at 10am, stopping in Angurugu at 11.05am and arriving in Umbakumba at 11.50am, with multiple stops along the way.

The bus leaves Umbakumba at 1.20pm, stopping in Angurugu at 2.30pm, arriving in Malkala at 2.45pm and on to Alyangula.

The bus heads from Alyangula at 3pm arriving in Umbakumba at 4.45pm, then arriving back at the airport at 5.30pm and at the Alyangula ferry at 6pm.

The journey costs $5.

CONNECTIVITY: The Groote Eylandt Core Network which feeds 22 sites across three islands.

| April/May 2018 Page 2

Furniture donation a proud moment

Helicopters to survey remote plant life

IT WAS a proud and momentous occasion when the GEBIE CDP Carpentry and Building crew donated their first timber slab furniture to the ALC.

ALC chair Tony Wurramarrba said ALC staff were excited to receive the table and benches, created from locally milled timber.

The men have been working hard learning the skills

required to create beautiful

furniture, and training

in chainsaw and milling

operations with ALC Men’s

Shed coordinator Ian

O’Malley.

The ALC has a vision to turn

the Groote Archipelago into a

timber-making industry, one

of many projects to create

a prosperous future for the

Anindilyakwa people post-

mining.

VISION: ALC staff are gifted with a table and benches created from locally milled timber.

ALTERNATIVES: Tiwi College staff gave the Anindilyakwa Community School Reference Group a tour of their boarding school in March. The Reference Group is considering setting up a similar school in the Groote archipelago. Tiwi College is located away from noise and dysfunctional aspects of community life. Students are housed in family group homes during the week and go home on weekends. The Anindilyakwa Community School Reference Group is looking at alternatives to the current school system on Groote Eylandt, which is not working as many families do not send their children to school every day.

College tour for reference group | April/May 2018 Page 3

Dreams realised at Games

THE ALC has joined with the Northern, Central and Tiwi Land Councils to lobby the Chief Minister to sign a memorandum of understanding for a NT treaty.

In June it will be 30 years since then prime minister Bob Hawke promised a treaty at the 1988 Barunga Festival, after he was presented with the Barunga Statement, which called for greater Indigenous rights.

But a national treaty has never eventuated. Meanwhile, state-based treaty processes are underway in Victoria and South Australia.

The ALC met with the other NT land councils in March to map out the details of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a NT treaty.

ALC chief executive Mark Hewitt said the MOU would provide a framework for future discussions about what would be included in a treaty.

“We will be seeking growing control over our lands, housing, local government and the long term sustainable economic opportunities over our sea country as a replacement to mining income,” Mark

said.

The land councils want the signing of an MOU to coincide with this year’s Barunga Festival in June.

Mark said an MOU would help ensure the Anindilyakwa people were in control of their own affairs.

“The Anindilyakwa people don’t want outsiders to impose ideas but want to themselves dictate what happens,” he said.

LAND COUNCILS PUSH FOR TREATY

Continued from Page 1.

Groote Eylandt artists Annabell

Amagula, Bernadette Watt and

Maisie Lalara flew to Queensland

to watch the spectacular and see

their pieces in the limelight.

“When I was a little girl, I saw my

great, great grandmother making

baskets and bags,” Maisie said.

“When I grow up I was thinking to

myself, I can make my things in

the new ways.”

The artists first saw fashion on

a catwalk at Darwin Art Fair last

year, according to Anindilyakwa

Arts Centre coordinator Aly de

Groot.

“They were very inspired and

when they came back said they

want to see their own work on the

catwalk,” Aly said.

“It’s so exciting to see that dream

realised so fast.”

It was a spectacular opportunity

for the artists to learn more, meet

other designers and connect with

their culture, through fashion.

Meanwhile, Angurugu and

Umbakumba students Kelvin

Wurramara, Dayron Pascoe,

Kelvin Wurramara and Rayshaun

Maminyamanja were chosen

to attend two Commonwealth

Games preliminary basketball

matches in Cairns.

Bush Fit Mob trainers organised

the trip to reward their great

school attendance and positive

outside school engagement.

COLLABORATION: Tiwi Land Council deputy chief executive Andrew Tipungwuti, Central Land Council director David Ross, Anindilyakwa Land Council chief executive Mark Hewitt and Northern Land Council chief executive Joe Morrison.

| April/May 2018 Page 4

New language centre websiteHANDY: GEBIE

Civil and Construction employee Mason Lalara has been busy making sandbags for upcoming civil works at GEMCO. Sandbags are for sediment control structures, such as reducing the flow of manganese into the Angurugu river during rain.

GCC employees prepare for civil works

OVER 100 Anindilyakwa elders have flown to Queensland to visit and support Groote Eylandt children.

The elders are continuing to visit the Cairns Kids Project every two weeks, which helps them keep in touch with the program and its achievements.

Aminjarrinja Enterprises and the ALC fund the program to educate the children of Angurugu, Umbakumba and Bickerton Island.

It began in 2015 and has grown to 47 children, aged between five and 12 who attend mainstream schools in Queensland.

Seven children live with house parents in each of the eight family homes, and regularly visit other houses.

Aminjarrinja chief executive Keith Hansen said the program was unique to Australasia.

“Those who have visited our homes see for themselves what we are achieving,” Keith said.

He said credit was due to the parents who wanted to see

their children educated and safe.

Aside from attending school, the children complete homework, received tutoring, go on outings, undertake weekend activities and have Christian fellowship.

“Our children learn to live in harmony, respect each other, be good neighbours and take on responsibilities in the home,” Keith said.

“Children are taught to do many household chores, helping to keep their home and garden neat and learning to cook. We have found this to be of great benefit to the children and are seeing amazing results in such a short time.”

Children are also involved in sporting activities such as soccer,

rugby league, AFL and athletics.

Last year one child represented North Queensland in athletics; another represented the Tablelands in Cairns in high jump; another was under 12 girls champion at her school; while another was sports captain.

Children either call or Facetime their families every week. During term breaks, parents are flown to Queensland and most of the children return home for the Christmas break.

LAND COUNCILS PUSH FOR TREATY Life away a rewarding challenge for children

AT EASE: Zechariah Lalara, Quinnesha and Rose Lalara are showing amazing results in a short time.

GROOTE Eylandt Language Centre has launched its first website.

The website will host Anindilyakwa language materials, ranging from traditional stories to translated government announcements, with many items available in audio form.

A highlight so far is the page Milyakburra Stories which contains songs and stories by the Language Centre’s Judy Lalara and nationally-famous Anindilyakwa composer and singer, Emily Wurramara.

Go to www.anindilyakwa.org.au.

| April/May 2018 Page 5

A HELICTOPER will take to the sky in May to uncover new and interesting plant life in the Groote archipelago.

The helicopter will fly low and slow as NT Herbarium staff and ALC Rangers record information from the air to help map vegetation across the archipelago.

NT Herbarium senior botanist Nick Cuff said data would shape the future management of habitats and flora on Groote.

Nick said the ALC already had much information about flora in lease areas, around community and areas easy to reach by road.

“Quite a bit of work done on Groote in the past has been aimed at easily accessible areas or areas associated with mining and development. We don’t have much information about the vegetation or records of unique or threatened species of plants from the archipelago as we haven’t been able to easily access the areas where they are most likely to be found,” he said.

He said helicopter air-surveys were useful in remote areas that are difficult to access.

Data will be recorded on the types of plants as well as the ecosystems they occur in including the landforms, soil substrates, fire history, habitat quality and structure.

“What we are particularly interested in is trying to

get a handle on what threatened plant species there might be out there in the harder to reach areas of the archipelago, especially in those uncommon habitat types amongs the sandstone,” Nick said.

Another goal of the aerial mapping is to identify important habitats for threatened animals.

“There are strong links between the occurrence of certain threatened animals and particular vegetation types. If we can identify where and how much of these important habitats exist then this has the potential to help protect and maintain these animals as well.”

Helicopters to survey remote plant life

THE GEBIE Social Program has been developed by the GEBIE Board to benefit people of Anindilyakwa descent.

The board directors,

who are Traditional

Owners of the Groote

Archipelago, meet every

Tuesday to discuss

social program funding

requests.

Funding support is

provided in areas

such as aged care,

ceremonies, education,

electricity, funerals,

medical, music, sport

and others.

For more information on

how to apply for support

call 8987 4500.

Social program funding

SURVEYS: The helicopter will help map important habitats for

threatened plant and animal species on Groote Eylandt.

ON BOARD: Umbakumba men showed they were keen to improve development outcomes for their young children when they attended the Families as First Teachers (FaFT) program’s Dad’s Night at Umbakumba School. FaFT is an early learning and family support program for remote Indigenous families. Pictured is Lebron Herbert with dad, Ashley Herbert.

Dads get behind early learning

| April/May 2018 Page 6

Failure to close the gap proves need for different parameters: ALC“DO NOT measure us against the same parameters as non-Indigenous.”

That was the word from ALC chair Tony Wurramarrba for the 10th anniversary of the Closing the Gap strategy.

A decade ago, hopes were high for a new beginning when Australian governments united and vowed to close the gap in life expectancy and health inequality faced by Australian Aboriginals.

But just three of the seven targets have been met: halving the gap in year 12 attainment rates; halving the gap in child mortality; and ensuring that 95 per cent of Indigenous four-year-olds were enrolled in early childhood education.

Targets for employment, reading and writing, school attendance and life expectancy were not met.

During a presentation at a

gathering of 80 prominent Indigenous Australians with the Prime Minister and First Ministers in Canberra, Tony said his people had “an entirely different array of skills, strengths and abilities than non-Indigenous Australians”.

“We run faster, jump higher, see further, perceive the environment in a way that non-Indigenous Australians do not have the ability to do,” he said.

“Measure us against ourselves – how we are progressing in response to programs and investments that are working. Programs that actively build and invest in our strengths and provide us the opportunity to move away from the terrible contact and dislocation that has occurred.

“We will continue with our own unique economy, our

intimate relationship with the environment, our own natural lifestyle, our own range of talents that we can showcase to the world.

“Then we can all stand equal, with no gap in confidence and pride of our own sense of place in the world. Then the gap will be closed.”

| April/May 2018 Page 7

CONFIDENCE: Tony Wurramarrba says successful programs move Indigenous Australians away from the terrible contact and dislocation that has occurred.

Solar power trials planned to reduce reliance on dieselRENEWABLE energy could be powering Groote communities in future, if a new ALC project is successful.

The ALC is looking at using solar power and battery storage in outstation communities.

The goal is to rely less on diesel to generate power.

Currently the project is focusing on the communities of Bartalumba Bay, Little Paradise

and Four Mile.

ALC mining and environment officer Wesley van Zanden said the land council was also starting to look at solar farms for the larger communities.

Power and Water Corporation plans to conduct pilot solar programs in Milyakburra and Umbakumba in the next 12 months.

“The ALC hopes to build on

the success of these programs to secure reliable renewable energy for the future of all the communities on Groote,” Wesley said.

ALC chief executive Mark Hewitt is also negotiating with the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and with leading manufacturers of renewable power systems to arrange possible joint venture arrangements.

Ph 08 8987 4010Fax 08 8987 4098info@anindilyakwa.com.au For editorial contributions email danielacooper@outlook.com.au

30 Bougainvillea DrivePO Box 172Alyangula NT 0885

anindilyakwa.com.au

Published by

THE MJD Foundation has

plans for more festivities

on Groote later in the year

following its 10th anniversary

celebration in Darwin in

March.

The Foundation started 10

years ago with only $100,000

from the Federal Government

and $100,000 from the ALC.

ALC chair Tony Wurramarrba

said he was proud that the

traditional owners of Groote

had provided leadership in

supporting families living

with Machado Joseph Disease

(MJD).

“The ALC took the brave step of

supporting MJD research with

two donations of $1million

over the last 10 years, and we

are very hopeful of the good

progress that is happening in

the research area,” Tony said.

“This continues to provide

hope for people living with

MJD for themselves and for

their families in the future.”

He paid his respects to the

people with MJD that had

passed away.

Foundation deputy chair

Gayangwa Lalara said two-

way working with Aboriginal

and non-Aboriginal staff was

the only way.

“We are strong, and we act

from the heart with trust and

love and care,” Gayangwa said.

“We want to get the very best

for people with MJD and their

families. Family is important

in everything we do.”

She said she looked forward to

the next 10 years, and hoped to

have a future free from MJD.

The main activities of the

MJD Foundation are providing

education, equipment and

community services, primary

health, and mainstream

supports, research, and

advocacy at a government

policy level.

Page 8

FUTURE: Minister Natasha Fyles, Gayangwa Lalara and Nadia Lindop hope for a future free of MJD.

10 years of ALC support | April/May 2018