Pilbara Indigenous leaders breaking barriers in a time to be heard

They lead the way, create the change and are now breaking down barriers at a time where their voices are more important than ever. These are the Indigenous role models from across the Pilbara working in a diverse range of fields from health and counselling, to researching and the arts. Over the next three weeks, the Pilbara News and North West Telegraph team will together present 15 of the most inspiring Indigenous leaders from the region. This week the first five of the motivated bunch are in the spotlight, including a former Pilbara Girl winner, the first Aboriginal master mariner and a local tourism guru. Clinton Walker Clinton Walker was the first Aboriginal male to graduate from Karratha Senior High School and since then he has continued to inspire many young Indigenous people through his tour business showcasing Aboriginal culture. The Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi man launched Ngurrangga Tours in July 2013 to teach people about Aboriginal culture out on country. “I was working in the mining industry and then I decided that one day I would like to be able to teach people my culture and take them out on country and show them the things I have learnt to help them understand what it means to be Aboriginal and to know this country the way my people do,” he said. “I want them to see a side of Australia that the Aboriginal people have always seen, and to look after the land in the way that we have been taught to and to know the plants and the animals and the seasons and to understand that there is a lot of food that is native to this region, rather than just growing foreign food that comes from other countries originally.” Mr Walker took out the Perth Airport WA Tourism Award for Individual Excellence in Aboriginal Tourism two years running in 2018 and 2019 and hoped his achievements inspired other young Indigenous people. “I want to show them an alternative lifestyle in terms of a career where rather than working in an industry that inherently is destructive such as mining, that they can actually go out and work teaching people their own culture and heritage and educating non-Indigenous people and doing something they really love and doing something they are really proud of which is their culture,” he said. Verinia Bin Saad Hedland born and raised youth worker and former Pilbara Girl winner Verinia Bin Saad may be young herself, but that doesn’t stop her from being a role model for other young women in the Pilbara. Ms Bin Saad works for a local program supporting female high school students and providing them with feelings of empowerment. She is also a trainee for netball and football program Shooting Goals and Kicking Goals, helping develop student’s sporting abilities. Ms Bin Saad said she hopes other young Indigenous women will be inspired by her. “That’s something I hope I come across as for young Indigenous women and be someone that they can look up to in a sense and be that role model for them,” she said. Ms Bin Saad said she hopes to be able to continue her community-focused work into the future. “That’s my focus, just being community involved and being able to have that impact with all young kids. That is the kind of work I aim to work for in the future,” she said. “It basically comes from my background at Pilbara Girl, just wanting to support females in general and giving every girl a shot to feel like they are important and there is someone who is always going to care for them and being a role model and mentoring them through their high school journey and making sure they make the right decisions.” Pansy Hicks Her art has been showcased around the state, including the Alternative Archive exhibition at John Curtin Gallery, and she is using her position to help improve her community. Pansy Hicks, a Ngarluma elder who lives in Roebourne, is a regular at the Roebourne Art Gallery, where she paints the stories of her ancestors and is a guiding voice for the future generation. Ms Hicks was a leading voice in the creation of the 6718 Roebourne Advantage Plan, which formed in 2016 to close gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, including in education, housing, community safety, youth development, and men’s health. Ms Hicks said it was good to be with people and gather with them and provide support. “Our next-generation need help; they are suffering too,” she said. “We’re trying to help them with counselling, take them out bush, some of their parents have no vehicle to take them out bush. “They need help, our young people, we don’t want to see them going down.: Ms Hicks, whose art has been showcased at Cossack and in Perth, said art was another way to help and can lift people’s spirits. “Kids need some help, there’s the BighART in Roebourne they go and help out young girls too,” she said. “We need help in Roebourne; there are no programs in Roebourne for the teenagers.” Ryan Cobb Achieving a Master Mariner’s license is a momentous achievement, especially for Woodside employee and Ngarluma man Ryan Cobb who became Australia’s first Indigenous person to do so. With links to the Kimberley region too, Mr Cobb had been working on the sea from the moment he left school and said it felt surreal when he walked out of his final exam Mr Cobb said he was proud to be able to support his wife and kids. “They have had to put up with the hardships of me being away for quite long periods of time. So it is rewarding for us to have it completed, spending some time at home and taking on the next challenge,” he said. Mr Cobb said mentoring young seafarers was something he was really passionate about and he hoped to inspire other young Indigenous people with their careers. “I am hopeful that my story goes some way in highlighting the opportunities and career paths available working not only in shipping but in the wider oil and gas industry in general,” he said. “With a lot of Indigenous people there is a strong affinity or connection with the ocean. As a result of this I feel a lot of people I have had the opportunity to work or engage with really do get real job satisfaction from working on or around the sea. “Ideally what I would also like to see, and the industry has had some success with recently, is focusing on Indigenous progression within the maritime industry and getting guys and girls that have commenced a career at sea to push to take on further study to progress their careers further.” Peter Jeffries A leading voice for the protection of the Burrup and preserving the unique cultural history of Murujuga, Peter Jeffries is an inspiration to Indigenous and non Indigenous people in the Pilbara. Mr Jeffries is the current chief executive of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, and has previously worked with the Western Australian Police, Rio Tinto, the Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, and Woodside. With a clear goal for MAC, Mr Jeffries is wanting to members to be able to benefit from training, and education while preserving the unique Aboriginal cultural history and traditions of Murujuga, for the use and benefit of future generations. His work to protect the Burrup Peninsular has seen the iconic landmark added to Australia’s World Heritage Tentative List in November, and can be considered for World Heritage status later this year. Under Mr Jeffries careful eye MAC also plan to create a state of the art Living Knowledge Centre on the Burrup Peninsula to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Burrup and put the world’s largest art gallery on the map. He has also been instrumental in the construction of the boardwalks, walking trails, seating and interpretive signage at Ngajarli (formerly known as Deep Gorge) in the Murujuga National Park which are expected to be completed in August. Yarlalu Thomas The first person from the tiny community of Warralong to graduate high school, 21-year-old Yarlalu Thomas has become a fixture in the landscape of Aboriginal voices in the Pilbara. Since finishing high school, the motivated Nyangumarta Pitjikarli man went on to enrol in a Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine at the University of Sydney, where he launched the UNESCO- endorsed Life Languages project, which works to translate medical terminology into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, among other indigenous languages internationally. In recognition of his hard work Mr Thomas received the 2020 WA Young Australian of the Year Award, and is currently completing postgraduate medicine at the University of Western Australia. Mr Thomas told the North West Telegraph last year he was motivated by issues he had faced back home. “Where I’m from, my community in Warralong, access to health services is such an issue, just like many other rural communities, indigenous and non-indigenous,” he said. “Looking at ways in which we can use new technology to bridge that gap is a fascinating area to work in.” Recognising the opportunities afforded to him, Mr Thomas said he would not be at the point he was without the support of education initiatives throughout his upbringing. Gloria Ann Lockyer-Kays Inspirational local domestic violence and sexual abuse councillor, grandmother and PhD candidate Gloria Ann Lockyer-Kays has long been a catalyst for change in the Hedland community. The Karriyarra and Yindjibarndi woman has worked with Hedland abuse survivors and brought expertise from her three different degrees to make an impact in the lives of local women. Speaking to the North West Telegraph, Mrs Lockyer-Kays said she first became passionate about helping to tackle domestic violence issues in the Pilbara when hearing and reading abuse and treatment stories throughout the community. “The crime obviously shocked me but more importantly I was shocked at the lack of the capacity within the community to deal with such crimes; there seemed to be an endless stream of cases,” she said. “Cases I had personally been dealing with revealed the adults who had been assaulted as children were often still dealing with the trauma and health issues today, while the perpetrator continued on their violent path with the next generation.” In June last year, Mrs Lockyer-Kays was employed as an intern with a placement in the biggest MDC in the nation, Dandenong Victoria, which had 75 employees, from police to health workers to child protection officers. Now, Mrs Lockyer-Kays is campaigning to establish a similar clinic in the Pilbara, with her current PhD work centred on studying how a centralised approach to domestic violence issues would help our communities. “I observed the sheer determination of all stakeholders working to minimise family violence and sexual assault crimes, it’s something we need in our communities,” she said. Rowan Dann In 2019 Rowan Dann was recognised as the Hedland Youth Citizen of the Year for his extensive work in suicide prevention initiatives. The inspirational Hedland local organised a charity walk from the Redbank Bridge to Hedland Senior High School, dubbed Rowan’s Walk, to raise awareness and fight against suicide after his 34-year-old aunty, Geraldine Petula Maher, took her own life in October, 2017. The annual event has raised thousands for suicide prevention and brought the issue to the forefront of discussion in the Pilbara. Mr Dann said to the North West Telegraph before last year’s walk he wanted the initiative to grow beyond being focused on him. “I’m hoping the walk keeps going, and that it’s not just Rowan’s Walk but becomes The Walk,” he said. “Everyone’s doing it for me, but I want it to be for everyone.” Clontarf Academy director Clint Ernst said as a graduate of the academy Mr Dann was an inspiration to many other students. “Kids in our academy look up to Rowan and as a Year 12 graduate doing these type of things, he has a bright future,” he said. Hedland High School principal Bill Mann said it was good to see young people like Rowan stepping up as role models. “Whenever young people step up in the way Rowan has done to both raise awareness and raise funds for important causes, everyone notices,” he said. “Rowan’s example to the Hedland community is inspiring.” Bobbi Lockyer Well known throughout the Pilbara communities as an outstanding creative, Bobbi Lockyer has recently taken her talents to new heights, pushing for Aboriginal representation in the fashion industry and gaining recognition with a feature in Vogue Australia after participating in the #VogueChallenge The challenge, which involves people creating their own versions of Vogue magazine, began as a tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement and to encourage greater diversity in fashion. Ms Lockyer said she saw the hashtag pop up on Instagram and thought it was a chance to shine a light on the lack of Indigenous representation in Australian media. “For me, representation is so important for young Indigenous people — for them to see and relate to a familiar face and someone to look up to,” she said. “The fact there has only been two Indigenous people on the front cover of such a respected magazine is kind of sad.” Since being contacted by Vogue Australia, Ms Lockyer has also been in talks with the ABC, with it looking likely she will now, working with her sister, produce a show on ABC kids focusing on being an Aboriginal youth. Jennifer Geary The Hedland Police have gained a lot of praise for the way they have handled themselves in tense situations over the last few months, however there is also a lot to be said about their day-to-day work which has transformed the relationship between authority and community in the town. Jennifer Geary is part of the community engagement team at the South Hedland Police Station who, through their continuous efforts to reach out, have created a bond between often disenfranchised youths and the police. Officer Geary only recently joined the team, but was an instant success — organising the reconciliation day march from the South Hedland shops to the Police Station and contributing to the team which has been lauded for its success in addressing youth crime. Growing up in Hedland and previously working at the Warrika Maya Health Service, Officer Geary said she joined the team through her love for the town and desire to help continue the good work that was being done. “The work the team do is pretty well recognised around Hedland so I’m excited to be a part of that,” she said. “I’ve worked in other services around Hedland and know how challenging it can be, but the work is really important and seeing how big of an impact it can have is awesome.” Chanti McHenry Karratha mother of two Chanti McHenry was driven to create change in the community after having a tough childhood growing up in an environment with drugs, alcohol, violence and abuse. The 23 year old credits her success to the Pilbara Girl program, which she won in 2014. Since then, Ms McHenry has gone on to mentor other young Indigenous women in the program, has curated her own fashion shows, undertaken a traineeship at Rio Tinto and sits on the Headspace youth advisory group. “I help the girls with personal development, hygiene, sexual health education, resilience, confidence. Just giving them a pathway to dream big. Nothing is impossible,” she said. “You can dream big and keep going and going. I have had so much happen in my life. I have had that much trauma that I could not be here.” Ms McHenry’s dedicated community work was recognised earlier this year when she won the City of Karratha young citizen of the year. “It felt good. I feel like I’m doing something in the community, but I feel like I’m not doing enough. I like to do more and more and more,” she said. “It’s all about empowerment. I have two kids, a girl and a boy, I want the best for them when they get older and I just want to build my community as strong as possible. And for that, we have to change. “You have to be a positive image so that someone can follow. I didn’t have anybody to look up to when I was younger, and I had to be that person when I had kids so that why I think I completely changed from there.” Jolleen Hicks She left Roebourne at just 17 to study law at the University of Western Australia, is a leading voice in the Pilbara for closing the gap and has overcome a brain tumour, Jolleen Hicks is one of the shining lights of the Pilbara. Ms Hicks graduated from UWA in 2006 and accepted a Graduate role with Rio Tinto before being seconded to law firm Allens Arthur Robinson in Perth to complete her Practical Legal Training and Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. Since then Ms Hicks has been involved with several Indigenous groups including Queensland South Native Title Services, Kimberley Land Council before starting up the Roebourne Consulting Services. The impact she has had on her community has been profound, Ms Hicks authored the Roebourne Consulting Services Remote Cost Allocations and Closing the Gap report, in response to claims $53 million worth of government funding was going towards only 800 indigenous people living in Roebourne. The report was launched in 2016. Ms Hicks is also the director for the Mawarnkarra Health Service and has launched the Aboriginal Insights program to change mindsets and build the understandings and respect between both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. The program involves two courses to teach people about cultural awareness and engaging with Aboriginal communities. Violet Samson Nana Samson is one of Roebourne’s most respected elders and has had her work featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. Ngarluma elder and Roebourne Art Group senior artist Violet Samson also started the Strong Beautiful Women’s Gathering’s to encourage positive networking activities and cultural learning between non-indigenous women and women from different Aboriginal language groups. Nana Samson is also known for letting youths stay at her house when they need a place to sleep. In 2017, her hard work and dedication to the community was recognised by the Department for Child Protection and Family Support when she took home an award for Foster Carer of the Year 2016-17. She was also one of the Elders who provided information for the Ngurin Bush Tucker Trail in Roebourne providing visitors a learning experience on bush tucker, bush medicines and other artefacts used by Aboriginal people in their traditional way of life. Hellena Djiagween Whether it’s through improving fitness or providing health care, this mother-of-two has one mission in life – to help others. Hellena Djiagween works as a nurse in Port Hedland and also has a strong passion for health and fitness. Originally from Yawuru country, Ms Djiagween was selected earlier this year as one of 16 people nationwide for the Indigenous Marathon Project. Between raising two daughters and keeping busy as a nurse, sport has always been something Ms Djiagween can rely on for herself and was the perfect opportunity to lead by example for her people. “I want to inspire and be a role model to my people in the community and my daughters,” she said. “It’s time to put our health and fitness first to lead by example for our First Nations peoples because our lives matter.” Speaking to Pilbara News earlier this year, Ms Djiagween said there were pathways available for young people in the community and it was important to encourage them to reach out and better themselves “We have a high rate of suicide in our town as well, domestic violence and all of that,” she said. “There are other ways to deal with stress, and to reach out as well.” May Byrne Banjima woman May Byrne lives on the outskirts of Karijini National Park has inspired Indigenous and non Indigenous Pilbara residents by writing down a history of her people. Her artwork has also been chosen to go on permanent display in the WA State Art Collection, and she wrote a book that taught the skin groups of the Banjima people. The book uses pictures, graphics and small text blurbs to break down what can seem a hard to comprehend kinship system and also contains a history of Milyuranba Banjima ancestors, culture and dialect. Ms Byrne said she had to write the book because there was no history of her people written down. “I’d been planning to do the book for years when I was living in Roebourne,” she said. “We had to leave something down, nothing was there that I could see, like a family tree.” Ms Byrne said all her children and extended family were proud of the book. “Leaving this behind, I hope I have inspired people, so they are more proud of their heritage,” she said. Ms Byrne said one of her biggest achievements was helping to secure the traditional lands of the Milyuranba Banjima near Karijini. Another highlight for Ms Byrne was finding her brother who had died in 1969. Ms Byrne received the paperwork in 1993 and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. In 2005 received approval for the exhumation her brother and place his remains on their traditional lands. “My mum got her son back, she’s buried there and my uncle who was a stolen generation... they are back now,” she said.