Article: Exploring Anangu Legal Awareness

Exploring Anangu Legal Awareness

COVID-19 inadvertently created an environment for learning due to the NPYWC Domestic & Family Violence Service‘s (DFVS) forced slowing down of pace. DFVS’s Specialist Legal Educator and Anangu staff were able to explore legal / illegal behaviours and current misunderstandings around legal issues.

“……it comes as a shock to them when the police have a warrant for their arrest. This shock comes to both her and him and the family.” Anangu Support Worker

An DFVS Anangu Support Worker talks about her experience: I drew this picture after we were having talks about legal issues. We were trying to get a better understanding of how Anangu think about domestic violence orders (DVOs).

In the Anangu community, they think it’s none of their business when partners have a fight. The fight might start after they have a drink then maybe they start arguing about the money saying things like ‘You spent my money!’ People around think he’s just going mad, they might say: ‘I just heard something happening’, but they don’t do anything.

They don’t know that there are legal things there – the threating and the violence is there and it’s not good for the kids, it’s like trauma is happening for the kids.

A problem here is that people think its ok to leave it – ‘they are husband and wife – it’s their business – the neighbours think they are married so they don’t need to talk to the police, but sometimes things get worse for months and years. They are hurting the kids and each other. Then they get to the legal stuff the police come in and those things from the past (like a previous DVO/warrant) and they are going to affect you now. They have been saying ‘it doesn’t affect me’, then it comes as a shock to them when the police have a warrant for their arrest. This shock comes to both her and him and the family.

They don’t know how important it is to understand. It is a big thing now they have to know about. It can affect the family and the children. It is affecting the woman and the man. Both need to have a clear picture. It will affect you now and in the future. They can come together in the middle and talk about the DVO and what it means. They need to know that the DVO can help to stop the violence.

They need to understand that their behaviour is illegal. People don’t know what is legal or illegal behaviour this knowledge is hidden. Good legal education is important because people understand their rights but also the effects of their behaviour.

The difference came for me last week when we looked at the cards because there’s a story that explains legal and illegal behaviour. I’m ready now if violence comes in. I know what is legal and illegal, I’m thinking about the idea of the narrative therapy metaphor of ‘violence’ . Now there is something to say to it: ‘You are illegal!’

It’s gone from being – the man and woman walking towards each other to sort out the DVO, to now we have a better understanding so that she can say to him ‘I want you to be my husband and a father to the children but you need to understand the DVO’. In the middle of the picture is about the going to court time, the legal statements, the lawyers, how are we going to fix this? Lots of worries.

Now the couple are coming together in the middle to sort it out, they come out with release, relief, the mind is open. Learning happens in the middle, they come up thinking about the future. How can the legal story make them a better person? A better parent? A better husband or wife? There can terrible stress in the middle but it can be a positive thing if people understand.

Using training from the NT Legal Aid Commission’s Blurred Borders resource kit DFVS staff spent time discussing and building greater understandings around legal stories about restraining orders, conditions, police, and arrest. The DFVS now holds a greater understanding of gaps in community knowledge that can now be addressed through a fledgling DFVS legal education project.

Staff talked at length about threats, power and control, the word ‘psychological’ and emotional harm, which Anagnu staff equated to spiritual harm. These conversations have led to all staff developing a more nuanced exploration of legal/illegal behaviours, and the purpose of a DVO and criminal procedure being to create protection, not trouble.

Child & Family Wellbeing

CARING THROUGH COVID-19

When sudden COVID-19 travel and biosecurity restrictions came into effect, many people found themselves negotiating a new set of challenges.

Expecting mothers from remote communities were required to quarantine in hotel rooms both before and after giving birth . Some community members visiting critically ill family members in hospital were left homeless as hostel accommodation became restricted.

The Child & Family Wellbeing Service worked to support vulnerable families find accommodation, make it through isolation with a newborn baby and navigate their way home safely.

As expectant mothers faced a month of isolation around delivery of their child, including several weeks in a hotel with a new born, the Child Nutrition team has been a friendly and consistent presence. They support women facing this challenging situation through phone check-ins, visits (with social distancing) and nutritious meals.

Women and children with hospital appointments also have to isolate to get back to their home communities, the Nutrition team is easing isolation stress with visits, tjanpi weaving materials, shopping support and advocacy to expedite travel.

The CFWS kitchen, usually busy with new mums cooking and learning more about nutrition, is used to cook up large batches of meals for families who are caught in difficult circumstances.

Although unable to travel to remote communities to visit regular clients, the Nutrition team works with community clinics and DCP to maintain regular contact with clients through teleconferencing and mobile phones to address growth faltering .

They have partnered with local Child Care centres sending families activity packs filled with recipes, food, seeds and games.

NGAPARTJI NGAPARTJI: WORKING & LEARNING TOGETHER

As a lead Aboriginal service provider and employer, NPYWC has developed a formal framework that equally acknowledges and values both western professional disciplines and Anangu cultural and contextual knowledge within the workplace.

NPYWC is leaving traditional employment paradigms to better engage staff in Central Australia’s cross cultural context.

Ngapartji Ngapartji is the first edition of NPYWC’s Workforce Development & Capability Framework and is a holistic and evidence based approach to Aboriginal employment at NPYWC.

The framework is unique to NPYWC’s context, and importantly, requires Anangu cultural skills and knowledge to be embedded in all areas of practice. It believes that both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal employees are essential to the operation of the organisation to ensure the right mix of values, knowledge and skills.

During conversations with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal staff, members and clients, it became clear a traditional approach to Aboriginal workforce development would not sufficiently address the values and aspirations of the organisation. Relationships, language and culture, growing through work and empowerment were all strong themes that people felt needed to be acknowledged and included in this document.

The Workforce Development and Capability Framework places the responsibility on everyone to be constantly learning and developing, whilst contributing to the shared goals of the organisation.

The framework focuses on deeper learning in the areas of cultural safety, cultural awareness, knowledge exchange (both ways’ learning), malparara way and trauma-informed practice.

These areas contribute to a working environment that we feel, sustainably and realistically improves Aboriginal employment. It was important to NPYWC that the framework aligned with similar models and philosophies of work already created in the organisation.

Download Workforce Development & Capability Framework 1 & 2

NPY Women's Council is grounded in, and continues to live and work on, the sovereign Lands of the Arrernte people, and the Aṉangu and Yarnangu people - the rightful custodians of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Lands.

Exploring Anangu Legal Awareness

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