WANGKA Newsletter for the IBN Community

Transcription

1 WANGKA Newsletter for the IBN Community July 2016 Inside this edition IBN Services display their furniture creations at Spinifex Hill Studios with furniture designer, Andrew Christie. New apprentice boilermaker Brandon Dhu (right) is learning his trade from Henry (Ross) Lockyer (left) IBN SERVICES NAIDOC Week July 3 10 Jobs and training for IBN people IBN Services provides training and employment opportunities in horticulture, construction, carpentry and landscaping to IBN people in Port Hedland. ibn-services.com.au This year has been a time of rapid growth at IBN Services, crew numbers and projects just keep getting bigger and better. The crew has grown from five in December 2013 to 17 this year. It s great to see some women on the team, they certainly give the boys a run for their money when it comes to hard yakka. Native Plant nursery expansion Our native plant nursery is bigger than ever with a new hardening area for the seedlings to catch the full sun and there are over 120,000 seedlings in the greenhouses. We have been working on a few new contracts including garden upgrades at the Port Hedland International Airport, which will provide native plants for expansion works around the airport. Other potential projects include development of a native garden at the Port Hedland Fire Station and a garden maintenance contract for properties owned by the Water Corporation. New carpentry and welding workshops Alongside our horticultural work we have started two new ventures to give IBN people more opportunities to learn work ready skills. Although it s early days, the crew have started making furniture with help from furniture designer, Andrew Christie. Thanks to Veolia Waste Management we have skip bins of timber arriving at our yard in Wedgefield each week. The crew are recycling the pallets into stylish pallet furniture that is becoming popular in cafes because it s cheap to make, environmentally friendly and looks good. We hope to build up our skills and start selling the furniture soon. Congratulations to Brandon Dhu, IBN Services first Apprentice Boilermaker. Brandon registered with IMMS, our labour hire and recruitment business, and was picked up as a great candidate for an apprenticeship. He will be learning his trade under the steady guidance of one of our Leading Hands, Henry (Ross) Lockyer. Brendon will be the first to benefit from the new welding workshop built by the crew. He is, I hope, the first of many IBN people that will complete their apprenticeship at IBN Services. Evelyn Kroczek Project Manager, IBN Services Language, Culture and Heritage Project IBN General Meeting IBN kids sing with Archie Roach West End Markets Saturday August 20 Courthouse Gallery Gardens Edgar Street, Port Hedland IBN Services will be selling native plants and handmade timber boxes of herbs. Come down and see us! Join IBN Services Speak to an IBN Field Officer to find out more about work requirements to join the crew, or if you are ready to apply contact Kara at Indigenous Mining and Marine Services (IMMS) on or khawke@net.au Karijini Experience 2016 Follow us on Facebook. Search IBN Group Pilbara ibngroup.com.au

2 The meeting was held to discuss changes to the MAC Agreement (MACA) and the creation of the new Trusts for each language group. The final legal details of these changes are now being made and we expect to see the new Approved Trusts starting to receive their share of the MACA funding before December. IBN will now focus its work on the Charitable Trust (CHAT), Community Programs and expanding our businesses. More than $2.4 million to members through education and training, health and employment programs in 2015/16 over $1million in education grants, $850,000 in health programs and more than $500K in employment and training for IBN members. Expansion of IBN Services Pilbara native plant nursery. It s the only one in the Pilbara and now home to 120,000 seedlings. CEO COMMENT Thunarru! Firstly, thank you to everyone involved in the General Meeting in May. As the Approved Trusts build up their financial reserves, IBN will have a significant cut to its income and we will be working at ways to continue our services with less money. We will do this by working in partnership and building IBN businesses. IBN is in good financial health as we move into this new phase. From July 2016, we start a new financial year and a new 5 year Strategic Plan. The plan was developed in consultation with the IBN community and the Representative Corporations through workshops in Karratha, Tom Price and Hedland as well as in Perth. Thank you to everyone who came along or sent in their ideas. Please take the time to have a look at the new Strategic Plan statements and priority objectives on the IBN website we will be adding key outcomes and reporting as IBN staff work through these over the coming months. People often ask how IBN programs are going and the following outcomes are a good indicator of how members are making use of IBN programs and services. Camp Kurlungka the first IBN on country kid s camp held during the Karijini Experience, which we plan to be the first of many! Have a look at the video on our website. A specialist linguist employed by IBN in partnership with Wangka Maya to record, preserve and publish the traditional languages, stories and knowledge of country of the IBN people. The next big challenge for IBN and the other strong Aboriginal trustees in the Pilbara is to work together and have a bigger say in how resources and services are delivered by government and industry. In the coming years, there will be more than 10 trustees like IBN in the Pilbara, giving Aboriginal people a powerful opportunity to influence what happens on Country. It s an exciting time and we will continue to work together to improve the lives of Yinhawangka, Banyjima and Nyiyaparli people. Tony McRae CEO Kelly Howlett, Mayor of Port Hedland (right) and Tony McRae (left), CEO, IBN, with the Hedland NAIDOC Award winners. Free expert medical care for the IBN Community The Warralong Dancers perform at NAIDOC celebrations in South Hedland. NAIDOC Week July 3-10 Each year NAIDOC Week celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and recognises the important contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our society. This year s theme Songlines shared the knowledge of these ancient maps that sing the boundaries, lore and culture of Indigenous people. Dorothea Skelly Stacey Robinson The IBN Nurses provide free, expert medical care to IBN people living in and around Karratha and Tom Price. The IBN Nurses work solely for the IBN Community; they hold regular clinics and can be contacted directly if you or your family need non-emergency medical help. Dorothea Skelly IBN Nurse, Karratha Dorothea is based at Pilbara Health Network, 66 Welcome Road, Karratha Clinic times: Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm No appointment necessary Contact Dorothea M: P: E: nurse@phn.org.au Stacey Robinson IBN Nurse, Tom Price Stacey is based at the Nintirri Centre, Central Road, Tom Price Clinic times: Tuesday - Wakathuni Wednesday - Bellary Springs Thursday Parabadoo Once a month at Youngaleena Contact Stacey M: P: E: womenshealth@nintirri.org.au NAIDOC in Karratha: Stella Hubert, Geraldine Stream, Charles Lethbridge, Beverley Hubert and Denise Dann, IBN Field Officer. Danny Brown, IBN Team Leader in Karratha (centre) and Dorothea Skelly, IBN Nurse (second right) join in NAIDOC celebrations with staff at Pilbara Health Network. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. It is inspired by the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920 s who sought to raise awareness of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians. IBN is a proud supporter of NAIDOC events held across the Pilbara, here are a few pictures from the week Port Hedland Hundreds of people enjoyed a week packed with events and kicking off with the Opening Ceremony at South Hedland Town Square. Coordinated by the hardworking Hedland NAIDOC Committee the event included the Hedland NAIDOC Awards and a rare performance of a traditional dance by the Warralong Dancers not seen in 40 years. Karratha The IBN team in Karratha invited a few special guests to enjoy kangaroo stew and damper at the office during NAIDOC before celebrating with a larger crowd at a BBQ at the new Pilbara Health Network clinic. Layneisha Sgro NAIDOC Scholar of the Year IBN congratulates Layneisha Lay Sgro who won Scholar of the Year at the national 2016 NAIDOC awards. Originally from Broome, Lay is a Nyiyaparli, Bardi, Jabirr Jabirr, and Kidja woman and is very proud of her heritage. With help from an IBN High School Scholarship, Lay completed her high school studies at the prestigious Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC) in Perth with an ATAR over 92. This placed her in the top 8 per cent of students in Australia and is the highest ATAR ever scored by an Indigenous student in Western Australia. She received a Future Footprints Award as well as the General Exhibition Award for Indigenous students from the Government of Western Australia for her fantastic results. Back home in Broome she was also awarded the Youth of the Year at the Kullarri NAIDOC Festival. Lay is now studying Commerce, and is planning to continue her studies in Law, at the University of Melbourne where she was awarded the Chancellor s Undergraduate Scholarship. Well done Lay, you are truly inspirational. Layneisha Sgro NAIDOC Scholar of the Year 2 IBN Wangka: Newsletter for the IBN Community IBN Wangka: Newsletter for the IBN Community 3

3 KurlK a y i m a N gatha RemembeR me Annie Cameron-Edwards IBN Linguist LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND HERITAGE PROJECT LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND HERITAGE PROJECT Aboriginal people of the Pilbara not only have distinct identities, but they come from distinct places where they have specific knowledge about the plants of those places. Remember Me is an exhibition that uses storytelling, photography and film to explore the links between plants, country and cultural identity from the perspective of the IBN people. The IBN Linguist: Preserving traditional languages of IBN people Maintaining and teaching language is important in helping our young people remain strong in their Aboriginal culture and history. IBN is the only Aboriginal organisation in the Pilbara to have a linguist dedicated to recording and preservation of the traditional languages and stories of its members. The IBN Language, Culture and Heritage Project preserves and shares the cultural heritage of the Yinhawangka, Banyjima and Nyiyaparli people through different mediums such as art, photography, storytelling, film and the recording of language by the IBN Linguist. Kurlkayima Ngatha: Remember Me Lorraine Injie, IBN Chairperson and head of the IBN Language, Culture and Heritage Project, spoke at the Pilbara opening of the exhibition at the Courthouse Gallery in Port Hedland. Kurlkayima Ngatha: Remember Me was developed in response to requests from Elders and the IBN Community, she said. For most IBN people, the loss of land through dispossession means that maintaining a connection to country is not always easy. This project shows the great knowledge Aboriginal people have about plants and the part this plays in maintaining our cultural identity. These knowledge systems and cultural expressions continue to remain a source of strength, pride and resilience for us. In addition to over 25 IBN members and their families, international and nationally significant artists collaborated on the project which officially opened as part of the 2016 Perth International Arts Festival before returning home to the Pilbara. Well-known Aboriginal artists, including Budjala artist Fiona Foley, one of Australia s foremost contem xporary artists, created three site specific installations inspired by visits to country with IBN people to hear their memories and stories about how plants were used in days gone by. IBN believes that the ability to participate in cultural initiatives like Remember Me is critically important in creating understanding about Aboriginal community and country and this is something we will continue to support. For a copy of the book created as part of this exhibition contact Lorraine Injie on or linjie@ibngroup.com.au Here is an update from Annie about her latest work on the IBN Language Project The past few months have been a busy time for the IBN Language Project. A third edition of Short Stories in Banyjima was published in May. IBN partnered with Fairgame Australia to create some yoga activity books which have the potential to improve the health and language skills of IBN members. Copies of both books are available at the IBN office in South Hedland. Work is almost complete on a Banyjima dictionary, a Nyiyaparli and Yinhawangka See It Say It book, a word list with sounds and pictures. I have been working with 5 IBN members who are completing a Certificate 3 in Documenting and Revitalising Indigenous Languages (DRIL). This training provides valuable skills in language work and linguistics to allow IBN people to take on responsibility for preserving and sharing their traditional languages with others in the IBN Community. It is hoped the DRIL course will be available to more people in the future. I am always available to IBN people to do some language and oral history recording or if you have questions or ideas for language materials, just give me a call at Wangka Maya. Annie can be contacted at the Wangka Maya Aboriginal Language Centre in South Hedland on or ibnlinguist@wangkamaya.org.au IBN General Meeting 2016 Held in May at Wanangkura Stadium in South Hedland, the IBN General Meeting successfully finalised the agreement on the formation of new language group based trusts. More than 600 members and their families attended the meeting and joined in the discussions about the future direction of IBN. More information about the meeting outcomes can be found in the CEO Comment on page 2. 4 IBN Wangka: Newsletter for the IBN Community IBN Wangka: Newsletter for the IBN Community 5

4 In Brief Held in Fremantle in June the launch of Homeland Dreaming celebrated three uniquely Aboriginal films. The first film shared the story of Camp Kurlungka, IBNs on country kid s camp held in Karijini in April. The second followed Bigali Hanlon s hearbreaking journey back to her Yindjibardi homeland after being stolen, from Mulga Downs station in The last film Homeland Dreaming is about Youngaleena Community. Fun run time at Camp Kurlungka Directed by IBN member and Nyiyaparli woman, Denise Groves, the film tells the story of how an old man s dream of building a homeland community became a reality. Proudly supported by IBN Homeland Dreaming celebrates the power and resilience of Aboriginal culture. Karijini Experience 2016 Denise Groves (right) with Evelyn Kroczek, IBN Director, and her family at the launch of Homeland Dreaming. The Karijini Experience, now in it s fourth year, is held on Banyjima traditional lands in Karijini National Park. IBN is a sponsor of this unique event that celebrates the culture, Country and people that call this beautiful part of the world home. During the week-long program, people from all walks of life have the opportunity to connect with Country and Aboriginal culture through storytelling, song and dance, art, photography and food. IBN held two special events at the Karijini Experience this year and we can t wait for next year! Camp Kurlungka: IBNs first on-country children s cultural camp in Karijini Developed in partnership with the not-for-profit Nintirri Centre in Tom Price, Camp Kurlungka ran for a week alongside the Karijini Experience. Targeted at IBN kids aged 10 to 15 years the camp gave them the opportunity to connect with Country while also getting involved with music, cooking and sport. Highlights included bush-tucker classes with Aboriginal celebrity chef, Mark Olive, and traditional painting workshops with Newman artist Jacinta Lane, who at just 15 years of age received international acclaim. The kids also worked closely with renowned Aboriginal opera singer, Deborah Cheetham AO, of Short Black Opera Company, to compose and produce an original song. On the last night of the camp the song was performed in front of a live audience alongside a talented line-up of Aboriginal musicians. You can see this deadly performance in the short film produced about the camp details are at the end of this story. The group also experienced traditional tool and weapon making, spear and boomerang throwing, learnt about the stars in the in Pilbara night sky from an Aboriginal perspective and connected with Country through bush walks with Elders. Camp Kurlungka was hugely successful and we hope to use this first camp as a pilot project for bigger and better camps in coming years. All aboard the Spinifex Express! Do you remember the Spinifex Express? This historic train ran from Port Hedland to Marble Bar and was the inspiration for an all-singing, all-dancing cross country adventure about the fascinating characters and animals who call the Pilbara home. Songs like the train song are everyday or japi songs created by one person and sung solo without dancers. They are not considered sacred and are a bit different to what people often call songlines. The Spinifex Express train song follows the waterholes on the track from Port Hedland to Marble Bar and creates something similar to a songline across the country. Aimed at children under five the Spinifex Express adventure taught children at the Karijini Experience about traditional language and animals in a way that was both interactive and fun. IBN has created two seriously deadly short films about Camp Kurlungka and the Spinifex Express. Watch them on the IBN website or search IBN Corporation on Surrounding Pannawonica Country by Winnie Sampi. NEED HELP GETTING YOUR DRIVER S LICENCE? Red Dirt Driving Academy will be at the IBN Karratha office every Tuesday at 9:00am to help people obtain a West Australian Drivers Licence. They can help with the whole process from birth certificates for identification to behind the wheel driving skills. No appointment necessary, just come along to the Karratha office, or contact Red Dirt directly on for more information. Free fitness classes for IBN women in Karratha Classes start Monday August 8, 10:00am 11:00m at Karratha Lesuireplex. Classes then run each Monday and Wednesday. To join contact Denise Dann at the Karratha office on or ddann@ibngroup.com.au The IBN camp kitchen under the stars at Karijini IBN kids perform on stage with Deborah Cheetham Winnie Sampi is a finalist in Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Art Award UPCOMING EVENTS September Yamatji Marlpa Yule River Bush Meeting, Yule River Meeting Place. Annual on-country bush meeting. Winnie s painting Surrounding Pannawonica Country was painted at Spinifex Hill Studio in South Hedland and shows an ant hill and country around Red Hill Station. Painted from her memories of the station when she was a girl, when asked about the painting Winnie said you can t see this kind of thing, the hill, from the road. All this country here, there s no mining, no nothing; it s the land of a cattle station. Winners will be announced in August. September Destination Pilbara, Karratha. A 2 day event showcasing culture and tourism in the Pilbara. Bush tucker cooking class with celebrity chef, Mark Olive. Yoga, a first for most of the kids. Luckily they loved it! Caption 6 IBN Wangka: Newsletter for the IBN Community IBN Wangka: Newsletter for the IBN Community 7

5 The choir practice with Deborah Cheetham before their performance with Archie Roach in Melbourne. IBN kids sing on new Archie Roach album Four IBN kids travelled to Melbourne in June to join the national Dhungala Children s Choir and sing backing vocals in traditional language on the new album from Archie Roach. Samuel Calyun, Kane James, Parys Cook and Montel Kelly were handpicked to join the choir by well-known Aboriginal opera singer and founder of the choir, Deborah Cheetham AO, after excelling in musical workshops held during IBN s Camp Kurlungka. Since its inception in 2009, the Dhungala Children s Choir has brought together young singers from across Australia to become the peak choral performance group for Indigenous children. As part of the choir, children aged eight to twelve are taught musicianship, stagecraft, song writing and performance skills to inspire leadership and confidence. Ms Cheetham, who is also founder of the Short Black Opera Company, organised the event and said performing with Archie Roach was an inspiration for the kids. We wrote a song called Red Dust Sky, she said. It was very dry when we visited (the Pilbara) and the kids provided us with some language from the Banyjima people. He s such an incredible role model and you could just see their eyes open in wonder. Roach was deeply moved by the talent he saw in the children and he has included their voices in two tracks on his new album due out in September. They are truly inspirational, just to see the energy and life in their eyes, he said. Archie Roach To listen to part of the performance visit the ABC news website at and search Dhungala Children s Choir. How can you get your application approved on time? IBN receives hundreds of applications for help each week. We do our best to process applications within three working days, although this can take longer if the application has been sent to the wrong person or if information is missing. These tips will help prevent delays in processing your application. Essentials Have you answered all the questions on the form? Include proof that you are experiencing genuine hardship, including evidence of current household income. This can be a recent payslip, if you are working, or your Centrelink income statement, if you are not working. We also need a breakdown of your current and unexpected expenses, copies of your utility bills and a current bank statement, along with a quotation for the goods or services needed. Food vouchers Community Program applications If you re not working and not receiving Centrelink payments, you will need to provide a written statement to describe how you re supporting yourself, with a current bank statement attached. Applications for food vouchers received on Friday will not be processed until the following Monday. Travel Assistance All medical and funeral travel applications need to be lodged four days before you travel. Applications for emergency travel are handled on a case-by-case basis. Lodging your application Applications can be delivered to an IBN office or ed to beneservices@ibngroup.com.au. Do not applications to individual IBN staff members as it will cause a delay. Questions or need help completing your application form? Contact the Community Programs Team on or beneservices@ibnservices.com.au Contact IBN Port Hedland Office: 3 Brand Street, South Hedland WA 6722 P: F: FREECALL admin@ibngroup.com.au Tom Price Office: Shop 1, 973 Central Road, Tom Price WA 6751 P: F: admin@ibnservices.com.au Karratha Office: 7/18 Hedland Place, Karratha WA 6714 P: F: admin@ibnservices.com.au Visit us Got a good yarn for the IBN Wangka? swilson@ibngroup.com.au or phone IBN Wangka: Newsletter for the IBN Community