Article: Pulangkita pitjangu (When the blanket came)

Pulangkita pitjangu (When the blanket came)

“I want to light a fire in you…….light a fire with spirit and knowledge.”

Behind the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020 finalists Rene Kulitja & Rhett Hammerton’s work!

Rene Kulitja is a passionate Pitjantjatjara woman driven by a desire to enrich and care for the lives of Anangu people.

Rene was born at Ernabella/Pukatja (SA), then a remote Presbyterian mission. The mission was founded in 1938 by Charles Duguid, who insisted that all his missionaries learn Pitjantjatjara and that children be taught in their own language.

Growing up in the APY Lands in a world rich with culture, law and spirit, Rene now sees things changing:

“Today I see something happening. I see something coming towards us, something has come into our world……”

“This blanket represents English that is coming and pressing me down, I can only see through a tiny hole. I feel smothered by the blanket of English.”

“This blanket has come and covered over our language”

“I think a lot about the two worlds that we live in now – the non-Anangu world, whitefella world, the mainstream world, and the Anangu cultural world. I think about how to work within both worlds, how to bring them together so we’re supporting each other with strong knowledge about both worlds. And I think about how to pass on my experience and knowledge to my children so that they stand strong in their culture, stand strong in the two worlds.”

Rene Kulitja

Rene is a NPY Women’s Council Director, an artist for Tjanpi Desert Weavers, founding director of Walkatjara Arts and chairperson of Maruku Arts Governing Committee. She is an environmentalist, chorister with the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir, member of the Uti Kulintjaku mental health team at NPYWC, dancer, women’s rights advocate, law woman and grandmother.

Rhett Hammerton

Rhett is a long time photographer for NPY Women’s Council with many years working in and around remote communities. Rhett has built friendships and the confidence of many of his Anangu subjects. He works with a respectful and considered approach focusing on collaboration, inclusivity and adherence to cultural protocols.

Rhett has a background in Photojournalism and a growing visual arts practice.

Vote for Rene & Rhett in the National Photographic Portrait Prize Peoples Choice Award

Rhett Hammerton

Tjungu

Tailoring services to succeed in remote communities

A diverse set of cultural and language barriers can prevent remote Aboriginal carers access the support available to their urban counterparts.

The NPY Women’s Council’s Tjungu program has now been funded to work with Carers SA, the regional delivery partner of the Carer Gateway, to tailor support services for carers on the NPY Lands. As Regional Delivery Partners, the Tjungu team are able to mirror services in culturally appropriate ways, allowing Anangu carers to gain access to services readily available to urban carers.

These programs are vital in making sure Anangu with a disability are not excluded from support they need:

Carer Support Planning

Many remote carers have difficulty engaging with online systems that require a high level of English literacy and understanding of complex administrative processes to access. The Tjungu Team will work with remote carers to make referrals and reviews on the carer’s behalf, ensuring Anangu with a disability are not excluded from gaining access to funding and support services.

In-Person Peer and Counselling Support

Peer Support & Counselling services are important to allow carers share experiences, learn from each other cope with an often stressful caring role. Currently, many of these services are offered online or by phone. Anangu carers with English as a second language and limited rapport with unfamiliar persons that are not aware of their background or circumstance find this difficult to access. The Tjungu team will support culturally appropriate ways of connecting and facilitating Anangu carers to support each other such as regular bush picnics with Tjungu team support staff.

Carer Directed Support

Remote community carers do not have access to respite services offered in cities such as meal and transport assistance. The Tjungu team will work with carers to establish what support best suits their needs. This may mean very practical support for basic needs such as the provision of linen, bedding and clothing.

Find out more about the Tjungu Aged & Disability Care Service

Youth

From Kiwirrkurra to boarding school & back

From one of Australia’s most remote and isolated communities to the bustling city, Lydia Ward and Tanella West made a brave and giant leap that has inspired them to support youth in their home community of Kiwirrkurra.

Located in the Gibson Desert, Kiwirrikurra is home to Pintubi, including the Pintubi Nine, Australia’s last family of nomadic Aboriginal people who only made contact with white settlement in 1984. Lydia Ward is the daughter of one of the Pintubi Nine.

Both Lydia and Tanella were encouraged by their family to attend boarding school. For some Anangu youth, boarding school is a good education option providing a wide range of learning and social experiences. NPYWC’s Youth Service Boarding School Program supports interested young people and their families to access boarding school programs.

Starting at boarding school was a big adjustment, Lydia’s first day at La Salle in Perth was “the scariest moment of my life”.

“When I got there I was feeling shy around them other whitefella students but then the next day they taught me to be brave and happy.” Lydia said.

Lydia’s favourite school subjects were religion and sports. Tanella loved maths and history. Boarding allowed Lydia & Tanella to explore and understand the city, go to movies, hang out at the beach and meet new people. Favourite boarding house meals were chicken curry and chicken and rice!

Last year, Lydia completed year 12 at La Salle College in Perth. Completing year 12 is a massive achievement for remote community students who may have to overcome significant cultural and language barriers to engage with the school system. The NPYWC Boarding School program supports students in their journey ensuring they are equipped practically and emotionally to engage with their new school setting.

On returning back home to Kiwirrkurra, both Tanella and Lydia approached the NPYWC Youth Service about a job. Both are now employed by NPYWC as Anangu Support Workers helping to run programs that encourage the development of young people in their community.

“Because we are local, we understand our community- our culture and language …. this helps with the kids….we have also been in their shoes and grown up just like them so that is something that makes our relationship with the kids strong already.”

“Working together is really good, we respect each other, we talk to each other if there is a problem and sort it out together….”.

Find out more about the Youth Service

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.

Pulangkita pitjangu (When the blanket came)

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