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Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa

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25.01.2022 Indigenous People protect over 80% of global biodiversity. According to a recent report from United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, recognising and investing in... Indigenous-led conservation will be a key factor moving in protecting and restoring the world’s ecosystems. The 10 Deserts Project is working with our Indigenous partners across one third of Australia, which includes 21 declared IPAs and another 152 areas have been declared as a part of the National Reserve System like national parks and nature reserves to protect and conserve the unique biodiversity of Australia’s deserts. Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resources Management Board Indigenous Desert Alliance Central Land Council Desert Support Services Kimberley Land Council Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa Arid Lands Environment Centre The Pew Charitable Trusts The Nature Conservancy @Nyangumarta Warran Aboriginal Corporation BHP Foundation Country Needs People Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation Threatened Species Commissioner

24.01.2022 The Kunawarritji rangers were joined by Martu Elders and a helicopter to locate lost waterholes in the tali (sandhill) and rirra (stone) country. Prior to the helicopter mapping, young rangers were shown how to use a GPS to record the locations, and an audio recorder to record the stories told by the Elders. From the air, Martu Elders Kumpaya Girgiba and Thelma Judson directed the pilot to the location of the waterholes and the rangers used their eagle eyes to spot the soaks,... rock holes or springs. Elders also showed the rangers the family territories and the boundary places across country. Many of these places are where great ceremonies were once held. It was a big week over 10 waterholes were found, and many stories were recorded about boundaries, family histories and jukurrpa (Dreaming) stories for this country s: Torey Minyardie recording a story about Marrawurru; Kumpaya Girgiba and Deborah Thomas at Wangkurrka rockhole; and group shot at Warkula-Yarngajarra/Nyakjulaji.

24.01.2022 Punmu’s ranger teams drove to Razorblade Bore to check out some nearby rockholes and undertake mankarr (bilby) surveys. The team headed north to first find Yalka-yalka, which (when they arrived) was pretty much completely dry. But one of the rangers, Ned, was able to dig it out a little and found a little kapi (water)! The rockhole is surrounded by large bloodwood gums and another of the rangers, Catherine, spotted a beautiful lump of dried sap up one of the trees. Altogethe...r, the rangers reached up and grabbed chunks of the dried glistening sap and placed it into KJ’s trip leader’s hat (which Tom had offered as a carrying vessel!) Catherine explained how the sap is great bush medicine. Martu tend to put a small amount in their tea as the flavour is quite strong and bitter. s: Pensioner, Danielle and Blondie making damper; Catherine retrieving sap from bloodwood for bush medicine; N.B. splashing kapi; and recording data in the shade.

23.01.2022 The Punmu rangers and Family Program team ventured out together to place camera traps at active mulyamiji (Great Desert Skink) burrow sites. The rangers explained to the kids the unique way mulyamiji share a toilet area outside the burrows, but keep their own burrow clear. At the third location, the team found lots of kuna (scat) meaning the burrow was active and healthy! Instead of placing the camera at the burrow, the group decided to place it at the kuna pile. They figu...red that since ALL the mulyamiji who live there must use it, they’d get an idea on who’s living downstairs. It was at this site one of the mums drew for the kids (inventively using a toilet roll!) the way mulyamiji sleep all in a row with the mother, father, and then the babies. s: Ashwinique holding a mulyamiji poster; placing camera traps; and a camera trap at 'toilet'.

22.01.2022 This week’s Martu Wangka lesson is jangka-jangkatin. When KJ’s linguist asked Martu what this term describes, the most common go-to example to translate and describe the action was: you know like someone with a boil on their bum! Translation is a highly-skilled artform (and, thanks to the imagery described) many who read this should now understand exactly what ‘jangka-jangkatin’ means.

21.01.2022 The Kunawarritji rangers have taken a Wama Wangka trip down the CSR, visiting Well 32 (Nyarruri), Yurrunguny and Well 31 (Warlawarla). Wama Wangka is a Martu version of alcohol counselling, and provides an opportunity for Martu to visit country, become strong in their culture learning about kinship, culture, language, and country. The team dug out Warlawarla soak, and had a lunch stop at Yurrunguny rockhole. It was a nice one-day trip led by Kipin (Clifton Girgiba) with Elder...s, Thelma and Mr Lane, out on country with everyone. s: group shots at Yurrunguny rockhole; and Warlawarla soak.

21.01.2022 Hot weather means there’s plenty more people enjoying Jigalong Pool! The Family Program took advantage of this with some supervised swimming, before spending the next day on-country, helping the adults look for signs of mankarr (bilby). The mankarr morning survey was followed by an afternoon looking for parnarlapa (sand goanna). Sadly, they didn’t find any BUT the boys did find some sap/gum that their grandmother Rebecca Jeffries and great grandmother Pamela showed them how to smash it up and make sugar. s: Moranda watching over Erroll swimming; Moranda, Rianne and Erroll read over Martu books; and Rebecca, Pamela teaching Reece how to make sugar from the sap crystals.

20.01.2022 The Jigalong Families Program team wrapped up their 2020 with a dip in the pool and some Christmas tree decorating activities! The children were taken on-country and shown the tanks they could swim in and taught about the changing weather. The next day was spent looking at artwork and photos with an end of year celebrations being capped off with a BBQ lunch. s: Christmas crafting with Revina Dunn, Jaidine Dunn, Isaac and Shemalia; and the group enjoying the pool.

20.01.2022 This week’s Martu wangka (word) is ngaajiti. The ngaajiti is a highly elusive species of bird (more commonly known as the night parrot) that roosts in spinifex. A fifth WA population was found on Martu country in June, and KJ rangers continue to monitor and look for further populations; contributing to knowledge a species that was thought to be extinct for nearly 100 years.

19.01.2022 This week’s Martu wangka (word) is parnajarrpa. The sand goanna’s name literally comes from an amalgamation of the words "parna" (earth / dirt) and "jarrpa" (enters). Which means the Martu Wangka name for a sand goanna, quite aptly, means enters the earth.

19.01.2022 The Families Program aims to create a supportive environment for early years development activities while strengthening Martu families. The program incorporates both Martu and mainstream approaches to child development providing a rich two-way learning environment, engaging Martu children aged 0-5 and caregivers of all ages. Today we celebrate International Literacy Day and would like to share some great shots of Martu children learning both Martu and English language out on country. We would like to thank the National Indigenous Australian Agency indigenous.gov.au and The Ian Potter Foundation for their support of this highly valued project. https://www.un.org/en/observances/literacy-day

19.01.2022 Night Parrots found on Martu Country. Martu rangers have successfully located the elusive Night Parrot! For two years, KJ's ranger teams have been using sound recorders to search for the mysterious birds which are one of the rarest in the world. Experts from the University of Queensland have been assisting the search and, to the rangers’ delight, the hard work has finally paid off! I feel really good to have found that Night Parrot, we were lucky to put that sound recorder i...Continue reading

19.01.2022 The Punmu Families Program went to Willara so the youngest kids could hear the dingo Dreaming. Elder Gladys Bidu told the story, drawing in the sand for the kids, while her daughter Sarah recorded the story after having learned how to record via Zoom from the Country & Culture Team in Newman. The kids mixed playing with learning; practicing patterns, and working on their talking and hand signs. KJ staff also read a story to the kids, with Gladys helping translate to Martu Wangka. The story was all about types of movement, so a lot of stomping, crawling and hopping went on! s: Gladys sharing the dingo Dreaming of Willara while Natasha and SJ record her; Families team at Willara; and Ashwinique + Cainus enjoying the spring.

18.01.2022 This week’s Martu wangka (word) is happy. The first example someone volunteered to explain the word ‘happy’ was the following: When somebody shows you some new knowledge about your family history, or shows you, in person, the place where you and your family belong to and are connected to, wirla-n pukurlarriku (you will be full of a happy feeling).

17.01.2022 This week’s Martu wangka (word) is mantarrirrinpa. When one Martu man was asked about this word he said, Mantarrirringu-ya yungunpakarnu! If you've ever been taken camping by Martu, this is a very familiar experience They were awake + laughing when first light came!

17.01.2022 As well as Xmas crafting, the Jigalong Families Program team wrapped up their 2020 work with KJ’s Linguist, Duke, joining them for some language activities! The children loved the language games while the caregivers and teachers watched on - sometimes joining in. The kids finished off the day making footprint reindeers and cotton-ball Santas s: Xandre undertaking some Santa crafting; Martu language activity with early years class; and language games.

16.01.2022 This week’s Martu Wangka lesson is -pirrayi. It’s a very respectful but tender suffix, used when addressing certain family members. In Martu culture, one’s mama (father) for instance, plays an important role in making sure a person is looked after and watched over, and that important matters in one’s life are taken care of. ... Reciprocating this love and care is a responsibility that is highly valued in Martu culture, and one might verbally show their reciprocal love and gratitude by respectfully referring to their father as mamapirrayi (father dearest).

16.01.2022 Are you skilled in remote logistics? Do you enjoy working in a challenging and rewarding intercultural space? Do you want to be a key player in a successful and well-regarded organisation working in remote communities in the Western Deserts, WA? KJ seeks a Logistics Officer to assist the future of these programs. The Logistics Officer will assist the Logistics and Infrastructure Manager with the practical management of the logistics and infrastructure of KJ. ... https://www.seek.com.au/job/51464138

14.01.2022 This week was the launch of the Martu Aboriginal Visitors Program, a partnership with the Department of Justice - Corrective Services at the East Pilbara Arts Centre. The Program is an important component of the broader diversionary program that KJ is developing. The Department of Justice - Corrective Services has funded the Visitors Program, which will enable Martu Leadership Program team members to continue to visit Roebourne Prison every two months to present educational... and aspirational sessions for Martu prisoners. This program aims to help prisoners to prepare parole applications, to help prepare and mentor individuals for their transition from prison to community and to encourage discussion of alternative life pathways and re-engagement with family, communities and country. Photo is KJ Board members and senior cultural advisors with the Department of Justice's Assistant Commissioner Custodial Services David Brampton and Assistant Commission Adult Community Corrections Paul McMullan

14.01.2022 This week’s Martu Wangka lesson is marnin-marninpa. If you catch somebody driving around in a flash car, driving around non-stop they might be marnin-marninpa. Anybody who’s showing off excessively or who has too much pride and is puffed up might be marnin-marninpa.

14.01.2022 The Parnngurr rangers, with the help of Martu Elders, located 15 active mulyamitji (Great Desert Skink) burrows and have been monitoring them since. Footage revealed two young mulyamitji and others sloughing their skin as well as evidence of a few visitors... www.kj.org.au/news/detailing-the-life-of-mulyamitji

13.01.2022 The Punmu rangers have been out on a multi-night trip. After a bit of wangka (talk) about what they could do, they set off for Pirninkujarra soak. The road was not easy to find, and the team spent about an hour slowly looking for any sign of old tracks crossing over the tuwa (sandhills). Only two rangers present had travelled this route before, so they were both on the lookout. While Shaun began to remember where the crossing might be, it was Debra who yelled out (via radio)... that she could see it and was describing where to look. The tracks were very faint and Debra has the eyes of a hawk! From here, Debra knew precisely where Pirninkujarra soak was, so the team didn't worry about finding out more tracks and just drove. The teams were lucky to catch a few parnajarrpa (sand goanna) along the way, document rockholes, and undertake mankarr (bilby) surveys: finding active burrows, a large pile of scat, plus old tracks and new tracks. s: Group photo at Pirninkujarra; and Shaun + Gethyn at grinding stones.

13.01.2022 This week’s Martu Wangka lesson is juri. Juri can be used to describe mirrka (food), music (singing with beautiful tune), a swimming pool (on a hot day), and many other things besides.

13.01.2022 Flash back to some of the family tree work with the Punmu women rangers back in Oct 2018! The team were visiting Warkula-Yangajarra, and stopped under some bloodwoods for lunch where they listened to some oral history recordings. The women also recorded new stories about pingalpa a type of mirrka (food) that the parnajarrpa (sand goanna) eats. The whole trip was around 270kms, with the new story-filled USBs being dropped back to Punmu headquarters for safe keeping and proc...essing. s: Jakayu, Gladys, Deborah and Julieanne pointing to Warkula-Yangujarra; listening to oral history recordings at lunch; group shot at Paji claypan; and walking around at Papuly.

12.01.2022 Martu have undertaken a two-night Kalyuku ninti (return to country) trip with some members from the Women & Family Program. The two families involved camped at Kuparna Creek, and managed to find matta (wild potato) and successfully hunt, prepare and devour goanna and bush turkey.

12.01.2022 Two of the Punmu Family Program team members, Marita and Janita, spent time at KJ’s Newman office to brainstorm activities for the kids to complement on-country trips with the Punmu rangers when they undertake Mulyamiji (Great Desert Skink) monitoring surveys! The women worked on education tools, including posters; a sorting game of the foods mulyamiji eat (plants, insects and lizards) versus human food they don't eat; and a revamp of a colouring-in book. These tools help e...xplain more about the animals as well as history of how the importance of Martu caring for country. The ladies talked about when Martu were taken off their lands and traditional burning practices stopped, many animals that had been healthy had severe population declines as a result of unmanaged habitat. But when Martu returned to country and regularly burnt the country, animals like mankarr (bilby) and mulyamiji can live happily on country that is regularly looked after. s: figuring out a game to teach children about mulyamiji as well as lots of language; creating a Martu Wangka book; Janita and Marita show off their finished copy of a revamped Punmu school book inside is a story in Martu Wangka about mulyamiji; learning how to use the community access library to search for images; and discussing and developing their mulyamiji lesson plans.

11.01.2022 Are you a patient, flexible and nurturing person enthusiastic and passionate about working with families in Indigenous communities? KJ is recruiting a Families program Coordinator to assist in delivering an integrated, place-based program, focusing on Martu caregivers and their families with an aim to improve Martu child-wellbeing outcomes and learning, teaching and working together to become strong in both worlds. https://www.kj.org.au/work-with-us

10.01.2022 KJ rangers are back at work and out on country. It is a bit wet but the rangers are enjoying checking out the sites even though the roads are boggy in parts!

09.01.2022 It’s been a week of arts, crafts and on-country visits for the Jigalong Families Program team. The merging of playgroup and kindy classes meant the children are feeling more confident in a school setting with everyone working together with rhymes, colouring and storytime. The children spent time in the vegetable garden, honing skills like planting seeds and digging. Some definite highlights for the group were the drive to Kanabali, where some dark and juicy honey ants were ...found! As well as feasting on damper made by the kids. s: craft day; Jellie (Jessie Colley) and her beloved honey ants; and Emelda and Carlette making damper whilst Jellie prepares her marlu (kangaroo) tails in the background.

08.01.2022 This week we celebrate NAIDOC week. The theme this year is' Always Was, Always Will Be'. We recognise that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years and continue to care for it today. From all of us at KJ we want to take this opportunity to thank the elders that guide and support us. For sharing your knowledge and wisdom ensuring that country and culture remains strong for the future generations. As part of our pujiman series we wou...ld like to share with you a short film of one of the Martu elders. Minyawu was born ca 1944 at Pungarnu in the north of Martu country, and grew up in the Punmu area. As a young man, he was one of the last Martu to leave the desert. In 1966 he was instructed by elders to travel north to see if there was anyone left in the desert. This journey took him a 1000 kms walking from the Karlamilyi river up to Anna Plains station in the far north and back again. We are proud to celebrate that we have the oldest continuing cultures on the planet and acknowledge the traditional owners of this continent.

07.01.2022 The Kunawarritji rangers ventured on-country to maintain a track that is not well established. This effort assists in making the route more accessible; showing others which direction to take. The team relied entirely on Martu knowledge of landscape, walking the land or to the highest point. Grinding stones and clusters of rockholes were found, two of which had fresh kapi (water) in them. They took advantage of fulling up their bottles here as they noted it tastes much better ...than tap water! On the drive back, they passed Karingkarra soak, which Chad dug out a bit, "enough for the birds", before the group returned home. s: Looking for grinding stone artefacts on the sand dune kayili (north) from Wajaparni (Well 38); LJ and Chad Saville assessing a rockhole; and Esther Barndabba in a rockhole with kapi.

07.01.2022 Hot weather means there’s plenty more people enjoying Jigalong pool! The Family Program took advantage of this with some supervised swimming, before spending the next day on-country, helping the adults look for signs of mankarr (bilby). The mankarr morning survey was followed by an afternoon looking for parnarlapa (sand goanna). Sadly, they didn’t find any BUT the boys did find some sap/gum that their grandmother Rebecca Jeffries and great grandmother Pamela showed them how to smash it up and make sugar. s: Moranda watching over Erroll swimming; Moranda, Rianne and Erroll read over Martu books; and Rebecca, Pamela teaching Reece how to make sugar from the sap crystals.

06.01.2022 KJ's Parnngurr ranger team were joined by the local school kids and their principal to engage in an activities on country. The rangers met the school group out at the new springs north of Wangkakalu with both rangers and school super ecstatic to take the kids out to the newly found springs! The rangers cooked a BBQ in celebration, and Elders talked about the waterholes and how Martu locate them. The kids also built a traditional Martu shelter and collected minyarra (bush onion) which was guided by the Elders. One very successful school trip!

05.01.2022 The Kunawarrtji rangers took a one-day trip to visit and clean out rockholes. Over a shared lunch of marlu (kangaroo) tails the team also chatted about how the Martu Leadership Program (MLP) is working on diversion programs. It was another successful trip to some amazing countryside, leaving everyone very pukurpla (happy)! s: group shot at Wanayantilp rockhole; and enjoying the country and marlu tail cooked at lunch.

05.01.2022 This week’s Martu wangka (word) is mama. This one always confuses English speakers when Martu try to teach them language. The trick is to learn the word for mum first and there’s a really simple trick for English speakers to do this: just think about being really happy to see your mum, and you might say, yipi! (mum!). ... Or, you use them both in a sentence, Yipilu mamalu-ngkuya kujilarrinpa! (Your mothers and fathers are really missing you!).

05.01.2022 All generations have an important role in caring for and teaching young Martu and the Jigalong team recently put this into practice as part of KJ’s Families Program. They incorporated both knowledge of species and health down at their local creek; a two-system approach to health and wellbeing (Martu and western knowledge). These activities support Martu to raise their child to be strong, confident members of their community ... s: Erroll teaching little Erroll about animals and their tracks; and Liz, Angie, Rita and Lennis Dalbin during a health afternoon workshop.

04.01.2022 People from all over the Punmu community (elders, students, rangers, women and artists) have come together for a day of processing kalaru seed. Kalaru grows after heavy rains in wantajarra (cool time) and sits in the slightly salty linyji (claypans), but they need kalyu (water) to keep growing. Turning harvested kalaru into damper involves a lot of work before being baked in hot coals. The older ladies in Punmu completed this process together and took turns grinding the kal...aru seed into paste a tough job! Watching the process was a reminder of the amount of work that went into food production for pujiman (pre-contact Martu) and the sheer knowledge that Martu needed to hold in order to survive. It was also a reminder of the powers of intergenerational learning, from pujiman Jakayu BIljabu to the jijikaja (children), and all in between. Full story: www.kj.org.au/news/turning-kalaru-seed-into-damper

04.01.2022 A full week of playgroup and learning for the Jigalong Families Program. The aim of this week was to encourage positive relationships between caregivers and children as they engage in developmentally appropriate play and activities. Some of the fun and games worked on hand-eye coordination throwing and catching balloons. There was plenty of Martu Wangka narrating from some of the kids who were keen to share what they were doing and seeing!... s: storytime; children doing crafts; painting; and working on movement, memory and coordination with a game of head, shoulders, knees and toes.

03.01.2022 The Punmu rangers took the Families Program team to hunt for parnajarrpa (sand goanna) on country they'd recently burned. It was the first time so many of the rangers had taken the little kids on country, and everyone was learning together taking care to find the easiest and safest roads for the kids and having chats on the radio. All the kids had a great time practicing the parnajarrpa digging technique; playing around the adults as they dug. Over lunch, the kids were rea...d to by grandmother Debra Thomas in Martu Wangka. On the way back to Punmu, the team did some firewood collection and took the opportunity to run through same safety training. Everyone loved the trip and is keen to do more together. s: N.B. Gabby and Gethyn at the rockhole; Ashwinique and Cainus with grindstone; and a group shot at Kirriwal.

03.01.2022 Parnngurr school and rangers have had another positive trip together to check motion sensor cameras. The day was over 40 so the team only had time to inspect one camera; with batteries being changed and the camera repositioned. The reviewed footage appeared to show the mankarr (bilby) burrow had been taken over by a parnajarrpa (sand goanna) with the mankarr making trips back at night to inspect the burrow. The mankarr does not appear to actually enter the burrow which would... suggest that it was aware that the burrow was occupied. Everyone looks forward to heading out again to see what they find next! s: Clifton Girgirba, Sarah Mortimer, Muuki Taylor, Prem Mudhan; Anthony Bullen, Shaun Petersen, school kids, Muuki Taylor, Jamie Rowlands and Annabel Landy; mankarr (bilby); and parnajarrpa (sand goanna).

03.01.2022 Who remembers homemade playdough?! The joy of mixing, rolling and squishing colours together wasn’t (and still isn’t!) just a fun activity for kids and adults alike, but as part of the Women & Family Program team, it has another essential benefit. The activity of building and playing with dough in this way is a subtle, but oh-so-useful technique, in helping children develop their fine motor skills. Now that’s something we can roll with! s: making shapes with playdough.

02.01.2022 The lifting of coronavirus restrictions saw the Jigalong rangers head out to Pinpi and Kaalpi near the CSR for their annual fire and rock-wallaby work. The rangers undertook track monitoring for feral predators prior to the annual feral predator baiting operations that help protect the population of threatened pakaljarra (black-flanked rock-wallabies). They also continued their on-going fire management of the area, burning around sensitive cultural sites and putting in fire... breaks around the ranges. This allowed for extensive aerial burning to be undertaken throughout the area reducing the likelihood of destructive wildfires. The rangers enthusiasm for being on country after a long absence was inspiring and good time was had by all.

02.01.2022 This week’s Martu Wangka lesson is warrkirninpa. If you do the wrong thing, somebody might scold, or growl at you. A dog might growl at an unfamiliar person who appears at their house, and although we don’t understand what that dog’s saying, we understand they're giving us a good telling off!

02.01.2022 Ngamaru Bidu’s film "Pujiman" was recently part of the Linear Exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences in Sydney. Up until the 1960s, there were many Martu families living in the desert traditionally. In this film, Ngamaru shares the story of how her family and the Biljabu, Whyoulter, Taylor and Girgiba families met Len Beadell and his road crew in 1964. The families were convinced to meet the Beadell’s, a native patrol officer and an anthropologist again at near...by Parnngurr rockhole. At the rockhole, the families were picked up and then taken to Jigalong Mission. This is just one story of how the lives of the pujiman (desert born people) were changed forever. This film contains rare footage recorded by Peter Pinkus, the native patrol officer, during these events, and which was donated to KJ in 2016. Repatriated archival footage like this assists Elders in retelling their stories from pujiman times both now and into the future.

02.01.2022 Are you a highly capable, problem-solving person whose industry has contracted through COVID-19? Are you an enthusiastic, resilient, adaptive team player who would like to deliver a range of dynamic, diverse and complex projects. Do you want an opportunity to make a difference, to contribute and use your talents in a field that you believe in? Are you open to experiences in remote Australia that otherwise you’d never find? This work requires people who are skilled in the Western world, but who want to use those skills to help empower Indigenous people. You would be working in a supportive organisation, meeting and working with extraordinary people, seeing desert country that is breathtaking, building something strong. If you want to explore this kind of opportunity, contact us https://www.kj.org.au/work-with-us