Nyiyaparli Rangers Jayleen Anthony and Carol-Anne Tucker along with KNAC’s Ranger Program Coordinator, Melissa Pepper, travelled across the country to Ngunnawal Country in Canberra for a Country Needs People Indigenous Ranger & Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) Forum. Over 45 Indigenous Rangers, Traditional Owners, Ranger Coordinators, and IPA Managers came together to hear about the work each other are doing across the country, connect and share ideas and ways of doing things. It was also great to learn about further funding opportunities as part of the Federal Government’s commitment of a further $636 million in funding for Indigenous Rangers and Indigenous Protected Areas to be rolled out over the next 5 years, commencing in 2023.
The Nyiyaparli Rangers were joined by representatives from Wuthathi Country in far North Queensland, the Tiwi Islands off the tip of the Northern Territory, Budj Bim in south-western Victoria, Tjakura Rangers and Anmatyerr rangers from Central Australia, Mimal Rangers from Central Arnhemland, Dhimurru from North-east Arnhemland, Mayala from the Kimberley’s Buccaneer Archipelago, Walbunja from Batemans Bay, Gumbaynggirr from Coffs Harbour, and our neighbours from here in the Pilbara, the Yinhawangka Rangers.
During the forum, Jayleen and Carol-Anne shared with other attendees some of the work that they have been doing on Country this past year. They also shared the book Jirntalpa Karnti – Nyiyaparli Flora with attendees who were captivated by how the stories within the book came to life before them. Several groups jumped online and purchased a copy for themselves!
On the Thursday, the Nyiyaparli/KNAC team attended a special lunch at Parliament House attended by Federal Ministers Linda Burney (Minister for Indigenous Australians) and Tanya Plibersek (Minister for the Environment & Water), and other members of Parliament and Senators. Big thank you to MP for Lingiari and Tiwi Islander, Marion Scrymgour, for sponsoring the lunch event. After lunch, we were able to sit in the parliamentary gallery to observe the shenanigans of question time.
The Nyiyaparli/KNAC team also had a chance to take in some of the sights of Canberra while they were there, visiting the National Gallery of Australia, Mount Ainslie, Lake Burley Griffin, and the High Court of Australia, sitting in the courtroom where the Mabo case was heard. A highlight of the trip was a drive to the Kosciusko National Park and the Snowy Mountains to see snow. Pilbara ladies in the snow, who would have thought!!
Thank you to Paddy O’Leary and the team at Country Needs People for inviting us to the forum – we feel very privilege to be invited and to represent the Pilbara alongside our neighbours, Yinhawangka. Thanks to Jayleen and Carol-Anne for an enjoyable week and for putting Nyiyaparli Country on the map in the Capitol! We look forward to continuing to build connections with those we met across the week and are excited by the opportunities ahead.
