Gotta take these kids back!

(Right to Left) TJ Butt, Nyaburu Cox, Tyrone Butt, Kimberley Watson and Eugene Brown collecting pig blood samples with AQIS, along the Fitzroy River. Photo: Hugh Wallace Smith

A unique, pro-active Aboriginal youth project in the Kimberley is helping young people overcome substance abuse and, through teaching them life skills, leading them towards a healthy lifestyle back on country. By Hugh Wallace Smith

Elders believe that the spirit will talk to the young people and make them feel good, thinking of where their old people walked.

The Yiriman Youth Project is a community-owned and culturally driven young men’s and women’s project within the Nyikina, Mangala, Walmajarri and Karajarri language regions. This country extends from Bidyadanga in the west Kimberley to Balgo in the southern Kimberley.

The Yiriman Project was initiated by Aboriginal people and began because elders were concerned that some of their young people had no jobs and no future. Elders (cultural law bosses) from those four language groups developed ideas, over many years, about ways they could stop substance misuse, self-harm and suicide in their communities.

The Elders praised the project, saying the project had helped young people come good and was supporting young people to become leaders themselves, in their own way.

The project promotes life skills and sustainable livelihoods in youth leadership, land management and community development. The project has been successful in getting youth out of urban areas and away from substance abuse and back onto country.

Nyikina/Mangala Elder and Yiriman Founding Director, John Watson says, “We want to show them their base (homelands)—if we don’t show’em country and identity…you’re nothing!”

“We want to make it known to young people that this is where their family lived and hunted around that country.

“Show’em where their grandfather and grandmother were born, what they ate and how to look after country and animals,” said Anthony Watson, Nyikina/Mangala Cultural Advisor and Yiriman Director,

For many years, these language groups fought to prove their Native Title claims to the federal government.

“Karajarri people had to show the Federal Court their relationship to country,” said Mervyn Mulardy, Karajarri Chairperson and Yiriman Cultural Advisor.

“Well…we gotta show our young people our connection.

“Take’m out, show’em country and gett’em to look after country.”

The ‘Yiriman’ tower (Mesa—a small flat-top hill) is one of many very important cultural landmarks in the region.

“A lot of people traveled through this countryside, it was a sign for helping people find Jila (waterholes),” describes John Watson. KALACC Chairman.

“Yiriman is a place that a lot of people got taken away from........we gotta take these kids back”

Walmajarri Elder and Yiriman Cultural Advisor, Joe Brown reinforces the importance of taking youth back to country:

“We would like this organisation (Yiriman Project) to take young people back to country,” he said.