Why Stories
Body paint is not just dress ups – it’s a form of knowledge, education, and a uniform to respect
Most societies across the world dress up for special occasions. Traditionally Aboriginal people n...
I can read and write but it means gobbledegook to me!
Missions used to require everybody living and working in Arnhem Land to learn Yolngu Matha langua...
Broken parole or broken communication?
A Yolngu mother called our office – her son was being offered parole but had no understanding of ...
Euthanasia, and controlling your own crossover
Under the original Australian Yolngu law, nobody should do anything to kill anyone else. This inc...
“All I do is attend funerals” — healing the heart of the health crisis
Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra OAM, a senior Yolngu elder, is exhausted by the constant death rates ...
I’m just a social security cheque now
Domestic violence does not go away until you empower the family unit and its members. When men, w...
Community building – educate first in the creator space
In the midst of the US election, it’s a good time to look at community builders and the secret to...
Never use the beckoning finger!
Ngunhi nhe dhu wiripulil makarr-yindilil marrtji wangalil, ngunhiyiny dhuka wangaynguyam dharra g...
Adopting a Balanda – accepting you as our own
“Very difficult for Aboriginal people if you are not adopted. They do respect that you are coming...
Avoidance relationships – don’t pick up the baby!
Yolngu have a complicated kinship structure that involves both ‘care’ and ‘avoidance’ relationshi...
Stop people in remote communities smoking – overnight!
For Aboriginal groups in North East Arnhem Land, tobacco was seen as holy, only smoked by Elders ...
Hitting rock bottom – starved of oxygen, starved of information
“When I was at school this kid came back after the holidays with a chemical sniffing way of getti...
