Japangardi was driving from Ntaria (Hermannsburg) to Wallace Rockhole when he came across four or five policemen around a campfire. He was flagged down and Japangardi made some off the cuff remark that he’d already been stopped (and fined) by police that day. He thinks that his remark was interpreted as him being “cheeky” and a thorough examination of his vehicle ensued. One of his grandchildren was asleep on the back seat, which resulted in another fine. A white woman drove past and was not asked to stop. When I suggested that he should have pointed out the difference in treatment, Japangardi said “What? And have the yurrkunyufind another reason to fine me?”

Japangardi incidentally is a non-drinker, regularly attends church, is very much a family man, takes part in ceremonies and is a highly respected member of Yuendumu society. He is also on “Income Management”. People are able to use Income Managed money to pay fines. Any left-over they can spend on food.

Just as well they are forbidden to spend it on grog, tobacco and pornography. After all, they have such a lot of spending money. Bus loads of Yuendumu people used to go on pilgrimages to Canberra to stock up on pornography. The Intervention put a stop to that. I really think Mal Brough deserved that Bennelong Society medal.

Jakamarra was talking to a couple of his friends in the Yipirinya Shopping Centre.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/centralaustralia/3097131177/

The shopping centre was named after the Yipirinya caterpillar. Alice Springs is part of the ayepe-arenye caterpillar dreaming. The Yipirinya shopping centre is owned by Centrecorp. Centrecorp is an Aboriginal owned investment body set up to provide funding for when the royalties from (non renewable) minerals on Aboriginal land in Central Australia inevitably dry up. Call it a communal Superannuation or Savings scheme if you wish.

A uniformed security guard approached Jakamarra and his friends and told them to “move on”.  Many would have complied. Jakamarra refused. Damn impudence!

Jakamarra years ago was a Justice of the Peace. He has been the elected President of the Yuendumu Council, and is heavily involved in ceremonies. He speaks several languages and is one of the most capable interpreters (both language and culture) that Yuendumu boasts. I think the security guard was very astute, recognising the danger that Jakamarra and his friends pose to the Yipirinya shoppers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS_CLIF1h-o

Police entered Jangala’s house. They didn’t have a search warrant, they were looking for a young man they had an arrest warrant for. They didn’t find the young man but just as well they entered Jangala’s house, they found and seized a bag of fire-works. Yuendumu’s women and children are now much safer.

Jangala works for the School, he is the community liason officer and follows up on truancy. What sort of an example does he think he is setting?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aip619LJMDo

Wendy and Nungarrayi gave a one week Warlpiri course to Central Land Council personnel in Alice Springs. Nungarrayi’s daughter Nampijimpa, had to go to hospital, so Nungarrayi was waiting for Wendy in Alice Springs whilst looking after her five grandchildren. When Nampijimpa came out of hospital she had to wait for the course to run its course to get a lift back to Yuendumu. She was house bound because one child was too young to walk and another had both his legs in plaster after an operation. Nampijimpa is now back in Yuendumu surrounded and supported by her extended family. The father of the children is in gaol for traffic offences. He is a criminal. He’ll be out in a couple of weeks, having learnt his lesson.

Nyirrpi community have long asked for a police presence. Their prayers were answered with the advent of the Intervention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUifJfwBSZs

Wendy and another Nangala go to Nyirrpi once a fortnight to help at the school with the Warlpiri language programme.

Recently the topic of conversation at the school staff room was a man that had been booked for unlicensed driving of an unregistered vehicle. The consensus amongst the white staff was that this man was rather stupid, only the day before he’d been booked for the same offences.

He is a criminal, he gets firewood for his family in an old unregistered vehicle. He has not passed a test in which he demonstrates that he knows who to give way to at an intersection, nor does he know how to parallel park

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ-loe3xXLg

This man considered being caught and fined and perhaps even sent to prison a lesser risk than to become redundant to his family. When he gets out of gaol, he’ll be welcomed with open arms by his family. He’ll go back to getting firewood in an old unregistered car and be respected for it. He’ll be somebody. He may never learn to parallel park, a real handicap in Nyirrpi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h75MiZmYwv4

This from my father’s anecdotes:

SEP’08- On one occasion dad drove me into Melbourne. On finishing my business we returned to his car, to be confronted by a ‘brown bomber’ writing out a parking ticket. We were only a minute or so late, but the parking inspector had not an ounce of compassion. When dad’s polite plea was ignored, he let fly: “You should be ashamed wearing such a uniform… I was in Germany in 1930 and I saw your type… put on a bloody uniform and you think you’re God almighty…. you start with writing parking tickets and next thing you know you’re in charge of a gas chamber….” and so on…slightly embarrassing it was, but more amusing than embarrassing! There is no justice: dad ended up having to pay the fine!

Put on a uniform and next thing you know you’re on the front line. You’re the infantry for the assimilationist assault on remote Aboriginal Australia.    

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWDQRBtw8J0

Seperti biasa aku selesai dengan sebuah lagu bagus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZselcrgNSO8

Selamat tinggal, sampai waktu berikutnya

Jujur