TWO-WAY LEARNING AT TANGENTYERE NURSERY

TANGENTYERE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY TEAM PRESENTS:

For town campers, by town campers. Issue #10 | July 2016

TANGENTYERE TIMES

Written by Veronica Peters

The men from Tangentyere Nursery have been doing a course in Conservation and Land Management, this will also give them the training to be park rangers in the Northern Territory. They have been learning to recognise and name native plants and propagate by collecting samples of seeds to grow from. These seeds are kept at the

Tangentyere nursery hot house, which is currently being cleaned and that there will no diseases when they are growing in the hot house.

“We’ve been learning about weeds like the Mexican Poppy Weed, it’s gone wild down by the river” said John

It has been a two-way learning process between the men and

the teaching staff. The men have been sharing their language and knowledge about the different plants in the local area, they have all been teaching each other. The men all agree that they have enjoyed the course and learnt a lot.

Richard said “It has been really good to learn about all the plants.

IN THIS ISSUE:Two-way Learning at

Tangentyere Nursery | 1

National Recognition for TACS | 2

Graduation Celebrations | 3

Celebrating NAIDOC Week | 4-5

News from Yipirinya School | 6-7

Gig Guide | 8

Contributer Profile | 8

OUR TEAM:The Tangentyere Times is produced by participants of the Media & Technology Activity at Tangentyere Employment Services.

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Do you have a story for us? We’d love to hear from you! Please send an email to: Tang.Stories@gmail.com

TANGENTYERE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES 10 Brown Street Alice Springs, NT 0870

Phone: 08 8952 9501 Fax: 08 8953 2069

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Written by Veronica Peters Photography by Veronica Peters

The Tangentyere Age Care Workers just passed their national review. The program is checked against Aged Care standards in Efficient Management, Service User Rights and Responsibilities and Application of Accessible Service Delivery. The Age Care has 7 full time Aboriginal workers that cover each language group in the Alice Springs area the staff members are Jennifer, Lynette, Fidora, Kenny, Ralph, Matt and Rebecca.

The Age Care Centre provides their clients with transport to and from the Age Care centre and also the Alice Springs Hospital for appointments and any other medical reasons. They also help each client with their medication and the physiotherapy clinic for their wheel chairs and walking frames. Each med box is filled with the daily medication, which is needed for the whole week and is kept under lock and key in the Aged Care main office.

“We had a physiotherapy clinic here this week. We bring in the clients to see if they need a walking frame or wheelchairs” said Rebecca

At the centre each client is given the opportunity to have a shower, wash their clothes and

given breakfast and lunch. Every Friday each client is given a meals box or a tucker box, which contain fruits, vegetable, roo tail, meat pack and other foods.

Jennifer has been working for Tangentyere Age Care for 20 years and said “We visit the old people in all the town camps and do med runs, personal care, transport, laundry, shopping and banking”

All the of the cooking is done by Cecilia and washing is done by all the other staff members at the main Tangentyere office on Elder St. TACS would like everyone to know about the services they provide so old people can find the help they need.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR TACS

(L-R) Marjorie Collins, Rebecca Campbell (TACS community support worker), Maureen Mulda, Jennifer Williams (TACS community support worker)

James Blewit (Physiotherapy student from Flinders University in Adelaide), Vandana Thavare (physiotherapist), Jennifer Williams with client Kathy Sampson seated.

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GRADUATION CELEBRATIONSWritten by Veronica Peters Photography by Veronica Peters

Last month the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group held training sessions at Abbott’s town camp. The ladies learned about Family violence - that it is not normal and they need to spread the word across their communities to prevent it from happening. On July 4th there was a graduation ceremony at Abbott’s Camp for all the women who completed the 8 training sessions.

The event started with a smoking ceremony, put on by the women at the Akeyulerre Healing Centre. Amelia Turner from the Akeyulerre Healing Centre addressed the crowd and said, “Having this program is good for our generation so we can make sure there is no violence around the town camps”.

The smoking ceremony was done with bush medicine leaves from around the local hill sides of Alice Springs. The bush medicine was placed in two small flour drums before they were lit. The ladies from the Healing centre welcomed everyone to country and then lit the drums with medicine. The ladies then asked everyone to walk through the smoke.

“Smoking has always been part of us. It clears the worries and keeps the body calm” said Amelia

After the smoking ceremony the ladies who did the training were each called up one by one to receive a certificate, a photograph of the artwork they made together and a t-shirt created by the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group. The women from Abbott’s Camp developed their own list of rights that were read aloud at the ceremony. This included their rights to keep their families safe and be strong and to say NO to family violence.

“We can’t have any violence while we’re wearing these t-shirts, no drinking alcohol, no fighting” said Barb Shaw

“We want to build on this program and do more talking” said Maree from Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group. She also thanked the women for their participation.

The ceremony was followed by lunch and drinks for everyone.

Women from Abbott’s Camp who completed their Family Violence Training with the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group

Smoking ceremony with women from Akeyulerre Healing Centre

CELEBRATING NAIDOC WEEK 2016W

ARLP

IRI

CHARLES CREEK

NAIDOC COMMUNITY DAY

Roo tail in the riverbed

LARAPINTA VALLEYLunch, drumming, face paint, hairspray & family photos

Written by Veronica Peters

NAIDOC week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Islander people, that is why I think it is an important week to recognise.

The theme for NAIDOC Week 2016 is: Songlines: The living narrative of our nation. Through learning more about songlines

and how they connect people to Country and the Country to people, we celebrate the rich history and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Islander cultures – the oldest continuing cultures on the planet.

NAIDOC Week was celebrated with lots of events happening around Alice Springs. Tangentyere hosted a variety of Family Days and BBQs at the town camps for

the community to come together and have some fun. NAIDOC Week coincided with the School Holidays so there were lots of kids around enjoying the activities. Here are some photos from the events:

Photography by Eilena Digaman, Deon Lucky, Amos Swan, Veronica Peters & Craig Forrester-Raggett

Mural painting

March from Anzac Hill to Town Council Lawns for live music, dance, speakers, a BBQ & service information.

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Breakfast BBQ & performance by local CAAMA musician Catherine Satour

Corroborree & BBQ

TRUC

KIES

KARNTE

CAAFLU

HIDDEN VALLEY

BBQ, roo tail & craft activities

BBQ, roo tail, face painting, treasure hunt & live music from ‘Rising Wind’

3-10 JULY 2016

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KEEPING LANGUAGE STRONG

NEWS FROM YIPIRINYA SCHOOL

Written by Valda Stirling Photography by Sarah Kenny, Rosina Dixon, Anastasia Palmer, Cheryl Brown & Valda Stirling

Rosalie Riley and the language teachers from Yipirinya School have been taking the children on cultural excursions to teach them language. The teachers offer lessons in Arrernte and Western Arrernte, Luritja and Warlpiri.

“We’ve been doing this for years - taking the kids out to the land and showing them important sites,” said Rosalie, one of the Arrernte language teachers at Yipirinya School.

The children learn about country, kinship, skin names, directions, locations, sound charts, and family.

This month, the teachers took the Yipirinya students from Years 1 & 2 to Olive Pink Botanic Gardens to talk about bush plants and bush medicine. The children are divided into language groups and are shown plants and animals around the garden.

“We teach the children to identify trees as we travel,” said Rosalie.

Sometime they take the older kids on overnight camp out bush. When its warmer they go to places like Ellery Big Hole, Emily & Jessie Gap. This week they are going to Burt creek to cut trees to make dancing sticks and spears.

Rosalie said these trips are good because a lot of children don’t get the opportunity to go out bush often due to lack of transport and other issues.

“We talk about the plants and their names and see what we find – witchetty grubs, yam, and branches to make ashes,” says Rosalie.

“The children learn better outside – the outside environment is their learning centre.”

“I am learning Warlpiri. I like being outside” (LEANDRA)

“We’re learning about plants and eating kangaroo and looking for animals. I’m learning Pitjantjatjara - that’s my mum’s language” (ANTONIA)

“We’re here learning language things. I’m learning Arrernte. I can see a honey ant - I’ve eaten one before” (VICTOR)

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FUN TIMES AT FAMILY DAYWritten by Veronica Peters Photography by Sarah Davis

Yipirinya School ended their second term by having a family day at the school. Students could invite their families and friends. The school had set up different stalls all around the court yard, so the kids could start at one and then move to the next.

The different groups that had stalls were CAAC (Aboriginal Health), Kungas Can Cook (Bush Tucker), Indigenous Face Painting, HIPPY (Indigenous colouring-in), Fast display, Utnenge Mwerre Eleme (Bush Medicine), Kinship Tree – Student art and Bunnings. They also had Drum Artweme performing and they had lots of other activities such as tyre race, sack race, tug-o-war, 3 legged races, egg and spoon race and kangaroo spear throwing contest.

At 10.15 the Cultural Advisory Committee welcomed everyone, and then there was a Smoking Ceremony followed by cultural dancing by some students and their teachers. At 11.00 there was the end of term awards for the school and 2 school performances.

TANGENTYERE TIMES CONTRIBUTOR PROFILE:

VERONICA PETERSHello my name is Veronica Peters, I come from Amoonguna Community, just 15 km SE of Alice Springs on the Ross Highway. I was born at the Alice Springs Hospital. I went to school at Amoonguna and different primary and high schools in Alice Springs.

On the weekends I like watching the football on the TV with my nephew, his team is the Fremantle Dockers and mine is the Hawks and we argue a lot about which is the best team, it’s all fun I just like teasing him. I also like cooking pizza or just cooking kangaroo tail with all of them. But sometimes I just like reading and watching the cooking shows on TV.

After high school I worked at Santa Teresa School as a teaching assistant and that’s when I wanted to get my certificate in teaching, so I enrolled at BIITE. I completed my first, second and fourth year and only needed to complete just one unit (two week prac in a special needs school) in my third year to get my Bachelor of Education in (Early Childhood).

I like coming to Tangentyere because I like to learn new things on Microsoft Word and searching the Internet, I also like writing for the Tangentyere Times and see what the other town camps are doing and how it is helping them make their community strong for learning and safe for young and old to live in.

GIG GUIDEUP THE GUTS TOUR Bands: ScotDrakula, Charlene’s Wedding, Ali E, Ben Wright Smith + Jack, Jo & friends) Date: 4th Aug Time: 7.00pm Location: Montes Lounge, Cr Todd St and Stott Terrace, Alice Springs Cost: $12

BUSH BANDS BASH Bands: Lander River Band, Eastern Arrernte Band, Irruntyju Band, Iwantja Sunset Reggae, Kardajala Kirr-Darra (Sandhill Women) and Salt Lake Band Date: Aug 28th Time: 4.00pm – 10.00pm Location: Alice Springs Telegraph Station

Cost: Free

DESERT SONG FESTIVAL Date: 8th Sep-18th Sep Time: 6pm Type: Community Event Cost: Entry costs apply Location: 40 Todd St, Alice Springs,

A CAPPELLA IN THE GORGE Date: 18th Sep Time: 4pm Location: Trephine Gorge Type: Family Events Cost: $5/$10 Family

Do you have an upcoming event to list in our Gig Guide? Please send an email to: tang.stories@gmail.com

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERSTangentyere Elder St: 8951 4222

Tangentyere Employment Services: 1800 349458

Alice Springs Hospital: 8951 7777

Alice Springs Police: 8951 8888

Police (calling from your mobile phone): 112

Ambulance: 000

Snake Catcher: 0407 983 276

Poison Information Centre: 131 11 26

Talice Security: 8955 5888

Alice Springs Fire Station: 8951 6688

The Tangentyere Media & Technology team who bring you the Tangentyere Times are embarking on a new project to create the Town Camper’s Cookbook.

Do you or your community centre have a healthy, fun & easy recipe to contribute to this book?

We’ll also be creating cooking videos of the recipe in action.

Want to get involved? Please email us at: tang.stories@gmail.com

TOWN CAMPER’S COOKBOOKCALL OUT FOR RECIPES!

(Pictured above is our first recipe: Bailey & the TES Amoonguna team’s Chicken Casserole)