WCE Team Working Collaboratively on Country: Maningrida

The WCE Team along with Dr Kimai Tocker, Visiting Scholar from the University of Auckland, gathered together in Maningrida in August 2016.

We were welcomed to this beautiful country by Dean Yibarbuk, where he told us a story on how Maningrida became a community and about the different languages that are spoken across the community.

During the intensive five day gathering, the team shared stories about each of their projects, activities, interviews and pathways through presentations and progress against their community action plans. This also provided an opportunity to discuss the ways that WCE will share and use data and research and evaluation findings that emerged over the past 2 years.

Over the 5 days the team also enjoyed a few activities, including lunch with the Maningrida GREATS Youth Service, where we heard about the work they do in the community and what they are working towards to help make a better life for the youth of Maningrida; visit the Maningrida Art Centre and the Women’s Centre where they both have a beautiful display of local art work and a range of fabrics and materials from local artists; and an interactive session with the Maningrida College Learning and Culture Centre staff where the team learned about programs incorporating local languages and culture into the education setting.

Overall, the main message that came out from this team meeting was to keep listening and learning from each other in a collaborative way. The importance of respecting a both-ways philosophy where Indigenous culture and mainstream culture meets was emphasised. Staff also recognised the importance of making sure all the hard work that has been done over the past 2 years is utilised for many more years to come.

by Keresi Motonicocoka