Features

Whitney Yunupingu

My name is Whitney Yunupingu, and I work for the NTAFL as a Game Development Officer. In my role, I travel to homelands, communities, and schools to deliver Australian football development programs. I also help run the local GAFL alongside my boss, Matt. My job allows me to share my passion for the game while working with kids, which I truly enjoy.

Before this role, I worked for the Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS), where I provided interpreting support in hospitals, clinics, schools, and local bush courts, helping to bridge the language gap for my people.

I was born and raised in Nhulunbuy, where I attended childcare, preschool, and part of my primary schooling. I then moved to Sydney, completing Year 6 at Bundeena Primary School and Years 7 and 8 at Cronulla High. After returning to Nhulunbuy for a couple of years, I was sent back to Sydney for boarding school at Wenona, an all-girls school.

Sports have always been a big part of my life. I played football, netball, touch football, rugby, and basketball. In 2015, I joined the NSW Academy and played for the Mosman Sydney Swans.

My grandfather, David Malati Yunupingu, is the brother of the late Dr. G Yunupingu of Guynangara. My family has played a
significant role in Treaty negotiations and advising the Australian government on Aboriginal land rights.

In my free time, I love spending time on country, playing women’s AFL, being out bush with family, fishing, going to the beach, and collecting oysters. Being around kids, friends, and family brings me happiness.

What I love most about my job is the opportunity to engage with both Yolngu and Balanda. I believe in working together, supporting one another, and learning from elders—both past and present. My goal is to be a positive role model for the next generation, inspiring them to build strong connections and create change for the future.

Nardaparli

Nardaparli is the great grand daughter of Rosie Burragalong-Davis and Mickey Johnson who were known as King Mickey and Queen Rosie of the Illawarra. Rosie was the daughter of Paddy Burragalong Davis known as the Chieftain of the Illawarra tribe and Biddy Giles who was a senior member of the Gweagal people of the Georges River and Botany Bay. Nardaparli is related through her father George Brown to the Yuin clans of the far south coast. Her great aunt Ellen Anderson (nee Burragalong-Davis) recounted many traditional stories in early compilations of South Coast Aboriginal language and stories. Ellen with her husband Hughy travelled the country in the 1890s from Maloga Mission on the Murray River to Kangaroo Valley where they tried to start an independent community to Kiama and the Georges River in Sydney. When Nardaparli paints she feels her ancestors guiding her and finds it hard to stop until a painting is finished.

Nardaparli's prints may be purchased at this link.

Tricketts Arch Biodiversity Credits

The ISX and the Dykes family are seeking investors in 2153 biodiversity credits at a price of $2499 each. (Biobanking Agreement, No. 33) Ecodiversity credits are saleable investments and are certified through the NSW Deparment of Environment and Heritage. The Tricketts Arch biodiversity credits are detailed below. Investors that may be interested in purchasing biodiversity credits include long term financial investors seeking to make a gain on their investment, property and commercial developers seeking to offset land clearing or commercial development obligations, philanthropists and environmental supporters of native vegetation in Australia.

Reconciling Indigenous conservation practices with the mainstream

 In a paper released (29 March 2010) Karanda (Bennett Walker) discusses the way in which the traditional families of the Daintree region are working to ensure turtle and dugong populations are kept strong and in balance. Please download and read this important paper.

Garma Highlights 2012

Garma 2012 gave us a glimpse of a whole new concept of Garma as a bush university and festival.

Live Recordings Garma 2012: Listen as if you were at Gulkula, seated, with the breeze gently blowing on your face, on a beautiful dry season day, at the newly anointed, open air auditorium, Garrtjambal

Meat and Potatoes Business IT Package

The ISX offers a high value IT business package to any Aboriginal business that lists on the ISX trading floor. The package includes:

a) Online services and server storage for $350 per annum
b) free website software - configured and installed
c) free blog software - configured and installed
c) email based marketing and client support system
d) Fax to email and email to fax service available at a discounted price plus access to a range of IT professionals who offer the best business software and solutions available to small, medium and large businesses.

The total value is hundreds of dollars a year. So if you want to list your business on Australia's most popular Indigenous business website and have your own website. Just make a listing and then contact the ISX voluntary secretary Peter Botsman at info@isx.org.au so we can ensure that you receive prompt service.

ISX Delegation to Chicago

Double click here to an important article by Torres Hughes. The ISX delegation to Chicago, including 17 year old Chaseley Walker met with Torres in 2011. His articulation of the problems effecting young African Americans is very relevant to the current generation of young Indigenous Australians.

Key personnel of the ISX have had a long term working relationship with the Center for Labor and Community Research (CLCR) in Chicago and with CEO Dan Swinney's visit to Australia in 2011 we were excited to make contact with Austin Polytechnical Academy which President Obama describes as "bringing back hope" to the community.

The CLCR, Chicago Renaissance Council and Austin Polytechnical Academy vision mirrors the goal of many Australian Aboriginal leaders to provide the highest level of opportunities for young people and to have pathways through practical work to higher level skills and education.

Austin Polytechnical Academy really walks the walk and is really about educating the next generation of leaders for the global economy. Read this paper by Erica Swinney which talks about the motivating forces behind for the formation of the Austin Polytechnical Academy. Over 2011-12 the ISX will work on building a strong relationship with Austin Polytechnical Academy including working on detailed curricula and relationships, offering short secondments in Australian Aboriginal educational environments and workplaces for key members of the Austin Polytechnical staff. The ISX is looking for fifty corporate partners to develop similar polytechnical academies for Indigenous young people in Australia. If you would like to hear more about the outcomes of the ISX visit to the Austin Polytechnical Academy please contact ISX National Secretary Peter Botsman (peter@peterbotsman.com).