Punu ngaanya mirritjanu warngkaringu – the dead tree comes to life again.
The Blue Tree project began as a conversation during a long car journey between Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and Warakurna, a remote community in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands of Western Australia. The discussion was sparked by the sight of a blue-painted tree at Curtin Springs, part of a national initiative to raise awareness of mental health – and this is what that particular Curtin Springs tree did.
A group of Anangu and Yarnangu women from the Uti Kulintjaku team at NPY Women’s Council developed the idea of making a blue tree out of tjanpi (grass), as a way of reinterpreting this initiative beyond the Western understanding of the tree, and of mental health more broadly, into a way that resonates with Anangu and Yarnangu. They collaborated with Tjanpi Desert Weavers to do this.
Not only was the physical act of making the tree healing, but it also stood as a powerful metaphor to open up dialogue about mental health in a meaningful and hopeful way.
The women talked about looking to the future – nyaakula kuranyukutu – going from a hopeless state – walykurringu – to having hope again, and recovering, returning to happiness – marlaku palyaringkupayi mapalyarringu.
The women often take the tree into Ngaanyatjarra Schools to engage the kids in discussions and meditations, encouraging them to create leaves to hang on the branches as symbols of regrowth. This interactive process shares the story of the blue tree in a way that reinforces the message of hope and healing.
The women hope the tree will travel, sparking many more conversations about mental health across communities, bridging cultural understandings, and bringing people together.
Learn more about the Uti Kulintjaku initiative and Ngangkari Traditional Healers here.
Funded by the Department of Social Services from the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program.
