Country, Culture, People, Future

July 2012

Singers and Stall Holders Wanted for the Red Earth Arts Festival 2012

Posted: July 31st, 2012

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The Red Earth Arts Festival 2012 kicks off later next month in the Shire of Roebourne, and organisers are seeking people to perform in a mass choir at the ‘Voices and Lights’ event taking place on Sunday 2 September 2012 at Hearson’s Cove.

You don’t need to be a ‘singer’ to join the choir, just the enthusiasm to take part!

There will be a series of rehearsals leading up to the event, starting on Monday 20 August 2012. For more information, or to register your interest, please contact Tangiora Hinaki on 0437 921 445 or email reafchoir@gmail.com

Organisers are also looking for stall holders to take part in the Karratha Community Celebration, which will be held on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 September 2012. The KCC is will be the final event of the festival, and is expected to attract an audience of over 5000 local community members.

This is a great opportunity for you to sell and showcase your wares. Both food and crafts-related stalls are welcome, and community/sporting groups who are looking to attract new members are also encouraged to apply.

If you are interested, please contact Tamsin Young on 0414 540 900 or email tamsin.y@paninternational.com.au by Friday 3 August 2012 to apply.

The Red Earth Arts Festival 2012, run by PAN International, will take place from 31st August to 23rd September 2012 across Karratha, Dampier, Roebourne, Wickham and Point Samson.

Under this year’s theme, “Bringing the World to the Pilbara”, the REAF aims to give both local and external artists from a wide range of backgrounds the chance to exhibit their work. The festival will present creative and professional development workshops, performances from local arts and cultural groups, and entertainment from across the country. For more information, visit the festival’s website.

Applications Open for a Chance to Visit Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the UK

Posted: July 24th, 2012

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Would you like to head overseas to the UK on a tour of Cambridge and Oxford Universities?

The Charlie Perkins Scholarship Trust and The Aurora Project are seeking applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university undergraduates to participate in a UK tour of these highly regarded universities in October this year. The visit may also include a stopover at Harvard and New York Universities in the US.

Applicants must have completed at least one year of their university course, and can be in their honours year. Overall preference will be given to students in their final years of study, but university graduates who are wishing to undertake further study are also encouraged to apply. The successful applicants will be chosen primarily on the basis of academic achievement (Distinction or higher), but also on the basis of their potential to become leaders in their field and in their communities. There is also the opportunity for these students to become Charlie Perkins Scholars in the future.

The project aims to provide Indigenous students with the opportunity to meet with academics in their field at Cambridge and Oxford. The trip will take place over one week in mid-October, with the possibility of extension to a second week if the US leg proceeds. Costs associated with travel, accommodation and meals will all be covered.

To be considered, applicants should email the following documents to fi.belcher@auroraproject.com.au by 5pm on Wednesday 1 August 2012:

a cover letter
– a curriculum vitae
– an official transcript of university results (including mid-year results if available)
– confirmation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent through a signed, written statement (including common seal) of an Aboriginal Heritage Association, Aboriginal Corporation or Land Council in the community where you live or have lived
details for two academic referees (email and telephone numbers)


Any questions about the application process should be emailed to Fi Belcher at the above email address, and include a contact phone number.

To read about the experiences of students who attended last year’s trip, visit the Charlie Perkins Trust 2011 testimonials. Four students from last year’s tour will be commencing study at Cambridge and Oxford in October this year, three of which received Charlie Perkins Scholarships.

Applications for this year’s Charlie Perkins Scholarships will open Monday 6 August 2012, and must be submitted by 5pm AEST on Friday 5 October 2012. For more details about Charlie Perkins Scholarships to Oxford and Cambridge, including eligibility and application requirements, visit the Charlie Perkins website.

If you are interested in staying up to date with Australian scholarships for Indigenous students, visit http://www.indigenousscholarships.com.au/ 

YMAC Congratulates Janet Stewart for NAIDOC Award!

Posted: July 20th, 2012

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YMAC would like to extend a big congratulations to Janet Stewart, who was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 Hedland NAIDOC Awards two weekends ago for her work mentoring Aboriginal chidlren.

Mrs Stewart is Nyangumarta woman and local teacher at South Hedland Primary School, where she teaches traditional language.

She has also helped to establish Nyangumarta dictionaries through the Wangka Maya Aboriginal Language Centre, and is strongly involved in several Indigenous women’s organisations such as the Mothers of Australia Shed, Pilbara Indigenous Women’s Aboriginal Corporation and Mothers Against Drugs.

We also congratulate all other nominees, finalists and award winners.

For more information about NAIDOC week 2012, visit the NAIDOC website.

Are You The Next Pilbara Girl?

Posted: July 19th, 2012

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The final heats for Pilbara Girl 2012 are coming up, and after the success of this week’s workshops in Port Hedland, there are still a few places left to be in the running for the crown.

Workshops will be run in Roebourne from Monday 23rd July to Friday 27th July, followed by a final heat on the Friday evening at 7pm. The workshops and heat will both take place at the Roebourne Community Hall.

The final contestants will then attend workshops in Karratha the following week from Monday 30th July to Friday 3rd August at the Youth Shed, before partaking in the final pageant on Friday 3rd August at 7pm, at the Tambrey Centre, Karratha.

The workshops aim to promote leadership skills and build self confidence, while the pageants showcase the beauty of our local Indigenous women and culture to the wider community.

Indigenous women aged 16 to 25 from Karratha, Roebourne and surrounding communities are encouraged to apply. If you are interested, please contact Nommie Wade on (08) 9195 5333, or email events@gme.com.au

The program is also looking for volunteers for the Roebourne final heat on the 27th July, and the Karratha final pageant on the 3rd August. Six ladies are needed to help the girls change backstage on both nights.

There is also the opportunity for community groups to fundraise on each night.

The organisers are additionally looking for an Indigenous person to share their personal journey with the girls during the workshops. If you have a story about overcoming obstacles that you think will inspire his year’s Pilbara Girls, please contact Tangiora Hinaki on 0437 921 445, or email hinakihard@bigpond.com 

For more information on previous Pilbara Girl programs, visit Goolarri Media’s website.

Nominations Open for Regional Achievement and Community Awards

Posted: July 13th, 2012

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Do you know someone who deserves recognition for their work in regional communities?

The Regional Achievement and Community Awards invites you to nominate an organisation, club, group, business or individual who you believe deserves an award for their work in regional and rural areas. Many people who contribute towards community development don’t expect recognition, but awards such as these create an opportunity to say ‘thanks’ to those who do.

There are nine categories for nomination, including:

– Rinehart Family Volunteering Award
– CSBP Environment Awary
– Curtin University Teaching Excellence Award
– Horizon Power Leadershop and Innovation Award
– Department of Indigineous Affairs Indigenous Service Award
– Prime Super Community Group of the Year
– LandCorp Sustainability Award
– Perth Airport Events and Tourism Award

Additionally, one of these nine category winners will also be named as the overall WA winner of the Department of Regional Development and Lands Regional Achievement Community Award.

Winners will each receive a $2000 Smart Access Account from the Commonwealth Bank.

Nominations close 21 August 2012, and winners will be announced at the awards presentation gala held at the Perth Convention Centre, on Friday 16th November 2012.

Entry forms are available at all Commonwealth Bank Branches, or can be downloaded from the Awards Australia website.

For further information, or to have a nomination form posted to you, call (08) 9201 2255 or email wa@awardsaustralia.com

YMAC in the WA Business News

Posted: July 12th, 2012

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YMAC’s CEO Simon Hawkins features on the front cover of this week’s WA Business News in an article on native title agreements.

The article highlights how far native title agreements have come, and how sophisticated many of them now are in terms of commercial arrangements, governance, partnerships and future planning. Last year’s agreements between four Pilbara groups represented by YMAC and Rio Tinto Iron Ore are used as an example.

Click here to view the article or download a pdf here

YMAC Celebrates NAIDOC week

Posted: July 9th, 2012

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Thank you to everyone who helped make this NAIDOC week special. Here are just a few photos from last week, when YMAC staff got to speak to people across Pilbara, in Geraldton and in Perth. We hope everyone had a great week celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and achievements

NAIDOC in Geraldton

NAIDOC in Port Hedland

NAIDOC in Tom Price

Djuba Dreaming: Badimia story on ABC

Posted: July 6th, 2012

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The stories of three Badimia people are now up on the website for ABC local (Mid West and Wheatbelt). Janice Slater has contributed a very personal written story of memories of childhood on Badimia country. This is accompanied by a video featuring Beverley Slater and Donald Clinch reflecting on their ties to country, and showing beautiful footage of the land they love.

Click here to view both pieces

Meet a Minister in Port Hedland

Posted: July 3rd, 2012

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Do you have an important issue you would like to discuss with a Government Minister?

The State Government is holding a ‘Meet the Minister’ function in Port Hedland on Sunday 29th July 2012, giving locals the opportunity to ask Ministers questions on matters that concern them.

If you would like to attend, contact Trish Barron at the Pilbara Development Commission on (08) 9173 8400 or email pdc@pdc.wa.gov.au to find out which Ministers will be present and register your interest. Registrations close 4pm, Thursday 5th July 2012.

Please note that it will only be possible for seven to eight people to meet individually with each Minister, so please apply soon to ensure your place.

For more information on the Pilbara Development Commission, please visit their website.

Country is our mother, the provider and keeper of cultural belongings. Country and Culture go together. You can’t have one without the other.

Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners and custodians throughout Western Australia, and on whose Country we work. We acknowledge and respect their deep connection to their lands and waterways.

We honour and pay respect to Elders, and to their ancestors who survived and cared for Country.

Our offices are located on Whadjuk Country, Southern Yamatji Country, Yinggarda Country, Kariyarra Country, and Yawuru Country. We recognise the continuing culture, traditions, stories and living cultures on these lands and commit to building a brighter future together.

Disclaimer: Caution: Please be advised that this website may contain images, voices and names of deceased people.

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