Support for COVID-19 travel restrictions to NT

This picture of Purki Edwards AO helps tell the story of strong Anangu women and how they organised themselves in the face of exclusion from important political, cultural and land rights conversations in the late 70’s and early 80’s.

At this time important land right conversations were beginning in the NPY Lands as Anangu were understanding that they were being governed from afar and their land was under the control of government bodies. The Pitjantjatjara Council was established to support these conversations.

A sign of the times, the meetings were led by male politicians and anthropologists, and attended by Anangu men. Women were present at the meetings, watching from nearby, but were not allowed to speak.

Uneasy to be talking about land in close proximity to women, the Anangu men told women to leave the meeting.

The women knew they had their own important cultural connection to land, and had equal say as custodians of country. They wanted to protect and represent women’s law and country in these discussions.

The cassette

In May 1980, in a caravan in Kalka, Mantatjara Wilson supported by other key Anangu women recorded an invitation on a cassette tape.

It said “I have been thinking about all you women from every community….I have been thinking that we women should hold our own women’s meeting. We should think about having our own female chairperson and our own women’s council.”

Mantatjara talked about her concerns for the whole 2 sides of the cassette. Concerns about being left out of important meetings unable to speak, concerns that resources for communities were only being directed by men, concerns about issues facing families in communities. The cassette was then copied and sent to women all across the NPY lands. The first Women’s Council meeting was held at Kanpi on the 6 & 7 of December 1980 and were attended by 40 women from across the NPY Lands .

NPYWC is celebrating 40 years in 2020.

NPY Women’s Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Leisa McCarthy as their new Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Dr McCarthy is a Warumungu woman from the Barkly region and grew up in Alice Springs. Leisa has held extensive roles in Aboriginal health, research, policy and management across her career.

It’s an honour to be a part of the NPY Women’s Council. I look forward to working with colleagues and Anangu across the NPY lands”. Dr Leisa McCarthy

Leisa started her career training to be an Aboriginal Health Worker before undertaking a Bachelor of Applied Science (Nutrition) and Masters in Community Nutrition to work as a Public Health Nutritionist. Leisa has held positions in policy, management, coordination and service delivery at the national, state/territory and local levels in Government agencies and the Aboriginal community controlled health sector.

For the past 15 years, Leisa has been involved in research and has held various roles across Aboriginal health services and research sectors. Leisa has been employed with the Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies) for the past 12 years and obtained a PhD in 2017.

More recently Leisa has worked across two organisations including dual roles as Research Development Coordinator and Nutrition Program lead at Menzies as well as Coordinator of research activities and capacity building of Aboriginal researchers with Central Australian Aboriginal Congress.

We are very happy to welcome Dr Leisa McCarthy to NPY Women’s Council. Leisa’s breadth of experience in Aboriginal health and research will be a great asset to the organisation and act to support the substantial work we do in this area across the NPY lands”

We are looking forward to Leisa’s expertise contributing to the strategic and operational development of NPY Women’s Council in our ongoing commitment to Anangu women and families in remote Central Australia”. NPY Women’s Council CEO Liza Balmer