Guardians of the world’s oldest culture meet
Each year 100’s of senior Anangu women, holders of ancient stories, travel from far across the NPY lands and meet to make sure their culture remains unbroken and nourishes future generations.
The NPY Women’s Council Law & Culture gathering is one of the most subscribed to events on the NPY lands. They gather to ensure the continuance of their culture and to pass on traditional knowledge to younger generations.
Marlene Stewart with NPYWC Chair Margaret Smith
It is a living, breathing education and legacy that transends the pages of books. In a world that rushes forwards, Law and Culture meetings are a testament to the power and resilience of these women. It is a connection and celebration of the enduring spirit of Anangu.
Leonie Bennett from Docker River who supervised the preparation of the gathering site
As our senior women age their frailty means a lot more effort is needed to assist their participation in a bush setting. A big thanks to our volunteers and to the agencies who helped make it a successful gathering this year.
Docker River Store, Docker River Shire office, Docker River Congress Clinic, Central Land Council Docker River Rangers group ,Tjarlirli Arts, Docker River Rise CDP, APY Anthropology, Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, Skylight and Ngaanyatjarra Health Service.
The other night we decided to have a campfire cooking night. We invited some young people through our Youth Service and some people that have engaged with our Walytjapiti team (supporting families with children at risk). The night was so beautiful, we took lots of pictures.
It was really special because two kungkas (young women) attended that have both been staying home a lot and not interacting with others for a while. They were laughing and joking with the other kungkas and helped to prepare and cook dinner, which was a really tasty and healthy chicken stew and rice.
At the end of the night when I dropped some girls home, one of the kungkas came back to the car just to say “I had fun tonight”. This was one of the girls who has barely left home for the last month.
All these small moments are important. We know all these moments add up…
NPY Women’s Council’s Walytjapiti program is a voluntary service supporting families with children aged up to 18 years. Integrating Anangu world views and child-rearing practices, we build on the family strengths to keep children safe, happy and protected within their communities and culture
