Article: Tjanpi Desert Weavers Honour the Bush Bus

Tjanpi Desert Weavers Honour the Bush Bus

Our social enterprise, Tjanpi Desert Weavers, celebrate the story of the Kaltukatjara Bush Bus by weaving the bus that connected the community to Alice Springs and faraway family.

With many important services based 7 hours away in Alice Springs, families from Kaltukatjara (Docker River) would often miss appointments or find themselves stranded in town, unable to return home… until a local tjilpi (old man) came up with an idea…

In 1998, Alan Passmore, who was working in Kaltukatjara, suggested he buy a bus to help solve the remote community’s transport challenges.

We said “palya”! So he flew to Perth to buy a big new bus, and drove it all the way back. He passed through Warakurna, and saw my son. He said, “This is a new bus for you mob!” Then he drove on to Kaltukatjara and pulled up at my place. Everyone was excited, the kids were all climbing in the bus! The same size as a Greyhound! He took us all for a ride. We were really happy about that one. – Rosalind Yibardi, Tjanpi artist.

Tjanpi Bush Bus Image 1

The bush bus, that’s our bus. Docker River started that bus, first travelling from Alice Springs to Docker River and back. Now that bus travels all over to help people from more communities get to town. – Winsome Newberry, Tjanpi artist.

Today, the Bush Bus service travels 11 routes across 35 communities, connecting people to services and family. In honour of this important lifeline for families, Tjanpi artists created a woven Bush Bus for the touring exhibition True Story.

Tjanpi helps Anangu women share their stories and culture with the world through fibre artwork to the world and supports income opportunities for women living in a region of economic disadvantage.

Tjanpi Bush Bus Image 3

Child & Family Wellbeing

Reshaping the Narrative on Aboriginal Youth

Children and young people in Imanpa have transformed their stories of strength and culture into powerful superhero characters

The Anangu Superhero Project was designed to give young people an opportunity to shape the narrative surrounding Indigenous youth and showcase their ‘powers’ of wisdom, strength, safety, courage, love and culture. The project encouraged young people to reflect on their own heroes at home and in community, and see themselves as powerful in a positive way. The project amplified young people’s voices, reinforcing their sense of belonging and influence in the world.

Here are a few of the amazing superheroes created:

Wati Mai (food man) – Jimarcus

Brings starving people bush food when they are hungry. Feeds homeless people, gives them magic water, malu, bush banana, yam, tinka & ngintaka.

Kungka Wanka (spider girl) – Nikea

Helps kids stay safe. Comes out at night. Throws webs.. Scares kids to go home and makes them go to sleep ready for school.

Wati Tjina

Wati Tjina helps people who are lost and help them find their way home. He knows all the tjina (footprints) of every person and animal in central Australia.

The project included a range of deep explorations with the young people including the project being embedded into the local school’s (Nyangatjatjara College) curriculum, character development, reading about superheroes and connecting concepts to everyday life. The heroes were painted onto the Imanpa youth shed as a mural, during a weeklong program, with activities highlighting youth leadership, food for strength, mindfulness and creativity. The characters have also been transformed into an animation (above).

The project was devised and led by NPYWC’s Anangu staff and community leaders in conjunction the NPYWC Child & Family Wellbeing Service, and was supported by the Imanpa School.

The ultimate power of the superheroes is the voice of the children who created them. This project shows the healing and connection that can be built within communities when Anangu voices are centered and heard.

Find our more about the Child & Family Wellbeing Service

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General

Meet Azaria Foster - One of NPYWC's Youngest Directors

“My heart went woosh!

I had the biggest shock and the biggest scream when I was elected as a director of NPY Women’s Council last year.

My name is Azaria, my grandmother comes from the Ngaanyatjarra lands. My grandfather comes from the Pitjantjatjara lands. So, I’m a Pitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra woman. I was born in Alice Springs and raised in Irrunytju and Wanarn in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, WA.

I’M REALLY PROUD

At the last NPY Women’s Council (NPYWC) AGM (2024), people put my name up on the whiteboard with the list of the people to vote in as directors. After the voting, when they called out my name, it was really exciting, and I was just really proud.

I’m one of the youngest directors ever. Being a director is really good for me to learn for my future, and I can inspire other young women coming in to be directors.

I HAD STRONG ROLE MODELS

I grew up with NPYWC through my grandmother. She was a director and helped to create the Nutrition program, so I knew NPYWC from when I was little. We used to live just next door because my grandfather was with the Pitjantjatjara Council. He used to be the Chairman and a strong speaker. My grandmother was the same, I came into NPYWC directors’ meetings and saw how she spoke in a proper way. I come from those strong family members. I know how they spoke and how they held NPY Women’s Council strongly.

It’s the time to learn from old women and teach the next generation.

MY WORK WITH NPY WOMEN’S COUNCIL

I started working as an Aboriginal Support Worker for the NPYWC’s Youth Service in 2016. Then I became a Youth Development Officer at NPYWC – I used to run the Irrunytju (Wingellina) Youth Service.

Words by Azaria Foster.

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.