Posts By: Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation

NIAA PBC Capacity Building Grant extended

Posted: June 17th, 2025

YMAC’s June edition of PBC News advised the closing date for National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) Prescribed Bodies Corporate Capacity Building Grant was at the end of this month. The NIAA have advised YMAC this information from their website is being updated, and that this grant opportunity is being offered until June 2026, with applications invited year-round.

The grant deadline has been published on Grant Connect, and will be also updated in the Prescribed Body Corporate Capacity Building Grant Opportunity Guidelines soon.

This funding is available to PBCs and can be used for activities such as developing planning frameworks, policies and procedures; delivering training; establishing information technology or an office; engaging staff or professional services to deliver capacity-building activities; and bringing PBCs together on a regional basis.

For more information and to download the guidelines, visit the NIAA website.

Free Aboriginal Family History Information Sessions for the Mid West

Posted: June 12th, 2025

Aboriginal History WA (AHWA) and the State Library of WA Storylines are travelling to the Mid West for a series of free Aboriginal Family History Information Sessions.

The AHWA team can assist First Nations people in accessing information about themselves and their direct ancestors which is held in restricted WA Government records. These records are restricted due to their personal and sensitive nature. WA Storylines is an online archive with more than 12,000 images and other documents which can help people find information about First Nations people in WA.

This free session will provide attendees with information on the historical records kept by both agencies and will provide an opportunity to request copies of your own family history records.

Aboriginal Family History Sessions will be held in Morawa, Yalgoo, Mt magnet, Meekatharra, Cue, Mullewa, and Geraldton between 4 – 8 August 2025.

Find out more and register on the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website.

WA Stolen Generations Redress Scheme

Posted: May 29th, 2025

Western Australia’s Stolen Generation survivors will be eligible to receive an individual payment of $85,000 through a Stolen Generations Redress Scheme.

The WA Government announced the scheme on 27 May, during the Reconciliation Week 2025, in recognition of the harm and trauma caused by the removal of First Nations children from their families, communities, culture and Country. It was also announced the WA Government will partner with First Nations organisations for a healing and truth-telling process.

First Nations people who were removed from their families in WA before 1 July 1972 will be eligible to register for the redress scheme. It is expected that registrations will open this year, with payments to begin being delivered by the end of the year.

You can find out more and sign up for updates on when registrations will be open on the WA Government website. YMAC will also distribute information to our networks as information is available. Keep an eye on our website, or sign up to receive our PBC eNews or YMAC News.

Yule River Bush Meeting 2025

Posted: May 27th, 2025

The 10^th annual On-Country Yule River Bush Meeting will be held on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 July at the Yule River Meeting Place.

The Yule River Bush Meeting brings together First Nations peoples from across the Pilbara to discuss and address key issues affecting community – with each other, industry, and government.

Last year’s meeting resulted in the release of the 2024 Yule River Call to Action and Solutions Roadmap. The document calls on Government at every level to address priorities in systemic reform, education, health, housing, wellbeing, and community safety, with links to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

This year, Yule River will focus on progressing the Call the Action, and the preferred community models on the Call to Action Working Group, to keep advocate for progress and ensure government works together with community to achieve real and sustainable solutions and Close the Gap.

Day one is for Pilbara First Nations peoples, Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs), Aboriginal Corporations and their staff only, while day two will include presentations to and from invited guests from local, State and Federal governments, including WA Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Hon Don Punch.

Pilbara First Nations organisations and other agencies, including some Government agencies on day two, will also be present with information stalls raising awareness and sharing information on their services.

More details will follow. For updates, visit the Yule River event page.

Carnarvon Community Workshop – Have Your Say on Yamatji On-Country 2025

Posted: May 16th, 2025

Date: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Location: Carnarvon Motel, Carnarvon WA

This year YMAC’s Yamatji Regional Committee are taking on a new approach to the annual Yamatji On-Country event and will be holding a series of community consultation workshops across the region in the lead up to the event.

This first workshop in Carnarvon is your chance to be part of the conversation and ensure your voice helps shape the 2025 On-Country gathering in September.

We’ll be talking about the key issues raised in the 2024 Call to Action, including:

• Systemic Change
• Housing & Accommodation
• Police & Justice
• Employment, Training & Economic Development
• Racism
• Education
• Health & Wellbeing

Check out the Yamatji on-Country website page for more information here

Closing the Gap – Have your say!

Posted: March 26th, 2025

Have your say on the implementation of Closing the Gap, through the Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led Review.

This independent review provides an opportunity for First Nations people to share their experiences of the implementation process of the Closing the Gap agreement.

Through a national survey, a national submission process, intensive forums, stakeholder interviews, and an in-person assembly, First Nations people are invited to share their lived experience, success stories, and ideas for building momentum for Closing the Gap.

The Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led Review of Closing the Gap takes place after the Productivity Commission Review, which recently revealed government failure in addressing the issues faced by Aboriginal communities. After this year’s Productivity Commission Review, YMAC called on the State Government to urgently address the requests from Traditional Owners in the Pilbara and Yamatji regions, which are outlined both the 2024 Yule River Call to Action and Solutions Roadmap, and the 2024 Yamatji On-Country Call to Action.

Both of these documents are directly tied to the Closing the Gap Outcomes.

The Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led Review of Closing the Gap is being conducted by the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research. The national survey and submission process is now open, with both closing on 16 April 2025.

To complete the survey and find out how else you can get involved, visit the Coalition of Peaks website.

Experience Tjaabi – Flood Country

Posted: March 24th, 2025

The Joondalup Festival is bringing stories and sounds from the Pilbara to Perth through Tjaabi – Flood Country, a celebration of Country and culture through immersive theatre, music, spoken word, and animation. With performances at Padbury Hall this Friday, 28 and Saturday, 29 March, get your tickets ($11-$19) via the Joondalup Festival website.

A tjaabi is a form of song unique to the Pilbara region, capturing stories, dreams, thoughts, and moments. Each song is sung by a particular person and relevant to a particular place, handed down through the generations.

Led by Ngarluma man Patrick Churnside, Tjaabi – Flood Country explores the many cultural and ecological pressures facing Aboriginal people in the Pilbara. A gifted storyteller, Patrick shares his life story through music, narrative, and humour. He grew up with the tjaabi song tradition; his grandfather Bob Churnside one of the West Pilbara’s most renowned singers. In Tjaabi – Flood Country, Patrick shares his own story of growing up the Pilbara, the lineage of cultural knowledge, contemporary relevance of Indigenous ecologies, working on Country, and the power of Ngarluma language.

“Tjaabi has become one of my passions and life’s work,” Patrick said. “I pour my heart into it, researching, learning and performing. Through my commitment to awakening and sharing tjaabi in this innovative intercultural project, I hope understanding and reconciliation will grow, greater awareness of country and stronger song, story and culture.”

For those in other parts of the state, the performance will also be touring later in the year:

• Cockburn – Sunday, 6 July
• Geraldton – Friday, 11 July
• Beverley – Wednesday, 16 July
• Harvey – Saturday, 19 July
• Margaret River – Saturday, 26 and Sunday, 27 July
• Port Hedland – Sunday, 16 November
• Karratha – Friday, 21 and Saturday, 22 November

Find out more about Tjaabi – Flood Country on the Big hART website.

Photo: Leith Alexander

YMAC’s New Strategic Plan – Have Your Say!

Posted: March 7th, 2025

Throughout 2025, Think Culture is supporting YMAC with consultation and the development of a new strategic plan for 2026 – 2030.

Think Culture is currently inviting people and organisations connected to YMAC’s work in our Yamatji and Marlpa regions to contribute their thoughts and ideas in this process by completing the online survey.

YMAC is committed to creating a plan that meets the current and future needs and aspirations in our regions, while also fulfilling our governance and native title representative body (NTRB) responsibilities for these areas.

Scan QR code in our flyer below or please click here to complete a survey. Survey closes 30 April.  

Do you want to have your say on the services available for Aboriginal people in Geraldton?

Posted: February 20th, 2025

The Midwest Aboriginal Organisations Alliance (MAOA)  – of which YMAC is a member – want to hear from all Aboriginal people in Geraldton about the services that you may use. Are they doing a good job? Can you access those services? Are there any services you need that aren’t already in Geraldton?

If you are interested in having a say, you can join MAOA at one of two community meetings being held in Geraldton on 25 and 26 February,  See flyer below to learn more.