Latest news with #EasternArrernte
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
SA First Nations Voice to Parliament leader faces court on domestic violence charges
One of the two presiding members of the South Australian First Nations Voice to Parliament is facing two domestic violence aggravated assault charges. Danielle Faith Smith, 40, appeared briefly in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court on Thursday morning, with a date was set for a pre-trial conference in September. "The matters are being contested," Ms Smith said outside court after the hearing. Court documents show Ms Smith, who goes by the name Danni Smith, is accused of two assaults police allege occurred on March 22. "It is further alleged that the circumstances of aggravation are that you committed the offence knowing that the victim of the offence was a person you were in, or were formerly in, a relationship with," the documents state. The alleged victim's name was redacted in the charge sheet seen by the ABC. Ms Smith is also accused of breaching a bail agreement. Police laid the charges on April 26. Ms Smith represents the Riverland and South East regions on the Local Voice to Parliament and was elected as its joint presiding member, with Leeroy Bilney, in November last year, after the resignation of the previous female joint leader. Asked if she would stay on the Voice to Parliament, Ms Smith said: "This has got nothing to do with the Voice." Ms Smith is an Eastern Arrernte, Gurindji, Kaurna, Narungga Nukunu and Ngarrindjeri woman who lives in Mount Gambier. She received the most votes in Riverland and South East at the first Voice to Parliament election in March. The First Nations Voice Act 2023 states that the office of a member of the Voice becomes vacant if the member is found guilty of a serious offence or serves a jail term.
ABC News
02-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Arrernte street signs keeping language strong for traditional owners of Alice Springs
Before dawn on a cool April morning, Alice Springs residents woke to find dozens of new street signs glinting in the sunrise. Painted in brown and white, the signs weren't there the day before. Each one bore a name in Arrernte, the traditional language of the area, and was installed just below the original street name. Eastern Arrernte woman Camille Dobson, one of the project's organisers, said seeing her language on street corners filled her with pride. "It's not just for our Arrernte people. We want to include everybody, and we want to give people the opportunity to learn more about how wonderful our culture is," she said. Camille Dobson works with the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics. ( ABC Alice Springs: Chris Murrkarany Fitzpatrick ) The original signs remain untouched — the new ones sit alongside as cultural guides. Each includes a QR code linking to audio of the correct pronunciation and background on the name's meaning. "Everyone can hear how to say it properly, know what it means, and see that we do write in our language — it keeps the language strong," Ms Dobson said. These Arrernte street signs were all installed in just one day. ( Supplied: Caddie Brain/Indigimoji ) Many Alice Springs streets already carried Arrernte names, often from local plants, animals or landmarks, but the spellings were inconsistent or incorrect. In the 1970s, when many of the town's streets were first named, officials often guessed the spellings phonetically using English letters, which resulted in signs Arrernte speakers could barely recognise. Arrernte linguist Joel Liddle has long been frustrated by the errors. "They're just kind of nonsensical utterances," he said. Joel Liddle is an Eastern Arrernte man. ( ABC Alice Springs: Chris Murrkarany Fitzpatrick ) "Tmara Mara Street [is] Apmere Mwerre Street … Erumba Street [is] Yerrampe Street … Gnoilya Street is Akngwelye Street." He said representing the correct language was important for Aboriginal peoples, as it "instils pride in Indigenous people and it builds cultural strength". Durida circuit is a misspelling of nturrerte, the Arrernte word for spinifex pigeon. ( Supplied: Caddie Brain ) Safeguard for the future Elder and linguist Veronica Perrule Dobson, who wrote the Arrernte dictionary, said the project was about pride and visibility. "The land still belongs to our people," she said. "We don't seem to have any rights to have things written in languages our people can understand. "We prefer to have the proper names written up, so people can learn it and know where these streets are." Eastern Arrernte elder Veronica Perrule Dobson wrote the Arrernte dictionary. ( ABC Alice Springs: Chris Murrkarany Fitzpatrick ) The signs were installed without Alice Springs Town Council's approval, and while the council as a whole has not taken a formal position on the signs, none have been removed. Mayor Matt Patterson said he had no problem with the signs. "I've said we should do this for a long time," Mr Patterson said. "I think this is a small step in what could be a big picture of celebrating our history — and it's educational to everyone." Alice Springs mayor Matt Patterson says he has no problems with the signs. ( Supplied: Matt Paterson ) Mr Liddle hopes the project continues to grow. "We wanted to bring the names on the signs to life," he said. " Languages of Central Australia are really important, and writing them using the proper orthography is a great way to safeguard them for future generations. "
ABC News
24-04-2025
- General
- ABC News
Remote Ltyentye Apurte Catholic community pays tribute to Pope Francis
At the entrance to the remote community of Ltyentye Apurte, known also as Santa Teresa, visitors are greeted by a giant cross on a hill looming over a church. Santa Teresa's church lies at the foothills of mountains that surround the remote community. ( ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin ) The former mission town is home to about 600 people, more than 80 per cent of whom identified as Catholic at the 2021 census — making it one of the most Catholic places in Australia. A statue in the garden of the Catholic Church in Santa Teresa. ( ABC News: Xavier Martin ) Here in the heart of Australia, worlds away from the Vatican, news of Pope Francis's death has rippled through this small desert community. This week, his framed photo is on display at the church altar, the Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre and in the school library. Framed photos of Pope Francis are on display in several places in Santa Teresa. ( ABC News: Xavier Martin ) At the Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School, Eastern Arrernte teacher Carmel Ryan talked about going on a pilgrimage to Rome to see a previous pope. She said she was "really sad" to have not met Pope Francis. Eastern Arrernte teacher Carmel Ryan at the Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School. ( ABC News: Xavier Martin ) "I am very sad [hearing about the pope's death] … and we will be missing him," she said. " I was always wanting to go and meet this Pope Francis but it didn't happen. " Sitting in the community's spirituality centre, Eastern Arrernte artist Clare Young is surrounded by her paints and rows of painted crosses hanging on the walls. Clare Young surrounded by her paints at the Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre. ( ABC News: Xavier Martin ) Ms Young said her and her cousin had recently painted a cross that was sent to Rome. She later found out they happened to paint the cross in the colours of the Argentinian flag — a link to Pope Francis's home country. "We didn't even know what colour Argentina's country's flag was," she said. "[The cross] was sent to Rome with one of the nuns who came to visit the centre. Clare Young painting a cross in bright colours. ( ABC News: Xavier Martin ) "I've still got it [the story] here, in my mind, and in my heart. " Thinking back after [we] heard about his death, made me feel really sad. " One of Clare Young's finished crosses. ( ABC News: Xavier Martin ) Crosses line the walls of the Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre. ( ABC News: Xavier Martin ) Fighting to keep culture strong Santa Teresa was established by a Christian mission in the 1950s. Sunrise over the community of Santa Teresa in Central Australia. ( ABC News: Greg Nelson ) Early Catholic missionaries across Central Australia instructed Aboriginal people to abandon their language and belief systems and fully adopt Catholic beliefs. But in Santa Teresa, residents made Catholicism their own, by championing their cultural knowledge. Inside the local church — where photography is prohibited — the walls are painted with biblical images featuring solely Aboriginal people, including an Indigenous Jesus. The Santa Teresa community was established in the 1950s as a Catholic mission. The church was built by locals from mud bricks. ( ABC News: Isabella Higgins ) Ms Ryan said while she was a "strong Catholic woman", her language was what gave her strength. "There is a lot of culture in the churches, singing in language … doing activities in language, reading," Ms Ryan said. "Our belief in our language and culture and Catholic faith are joined together as one. "We do respect the pope [in] how he was respecting all languages, all races, all nations." Santa Teresa is believed to be one of the most Catholic places in the country. ( ABC News: Xavier Martin ) Older residents spoke about the impact assimilation policies continued to have on their lives and their families. Ms Young said the Santa Teresa community's culture remained strong despite that, and they "want to keep it that way". "For our kids, for our future, because we don't want to lose our identity," Ms Young said. "We don't want to lose our culture, and we especially don't want to lose our language." The large cross atop the mountains shining over the community. ( ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin )
The Guardian
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Juno Gemes' book Until Justice Comes: 50 years of Aboriginal art and activism
David Dhalatnghu Gulpilil, Yolŋu dancer, actor and cultural teacher, plays yidaki (Yolŋu for the didgeridoo unique to East Arnhem Land) at Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery in Paddington, Sydney, 1986 Eastern Arrernte and Kalkadoon man Charlie Perkins, chair of the Aboriginal Development Commission, with his wife Eileen Perkins at the Handback ceremony, Uluru-Kata Tju, 1985 Wiradjuri tennis champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley wins the White City Women's Tennis Tournament at the International Tennis Tournament, Sydney, 1982 Phillip Langley, a dancer from Mornington Island, at an Aboriginal and Islander Dance Theatre dress rehearsal at Three Space, Union Theatre, the University of Sydney, 1978 Four generations together: Granny Simpson with a portrait of her mother, Marjorie Peters-Little, her daughter Frances, and Frances's son James Henry at Granny Simpson's house, Sydney, 2005 African American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin on the rooftop of the Athenaeum Hotel, London, 1976 Countrymen elders Norman Brown, Gerry Brown and Billy Kooippa from Aurukun and Mornington Island greet each other before Ceremony on Mornington Island, 1978 Former prime minister Gough Whitlam, Pastor Ossie Cruse (chair of the National Aboriginal Congress) and Michael Anderson (of the Aboriginal Legal Service) before they lobby African nations to boycott the Commonwealth Games, Sydney airport press room, 1981 Kamilaroi Elder Bill Reid casts his vote at the 1981 National Aboriginal Congress election in Redfern Artist and actor Wandjuk Djuakan Marika plays yidaki on the way to the Apmira Artists for Land Rights exhibition in Sydney, 1981 Kids on the Block in Redfern, 1980 Author and historian Ruby Langford Ginibi visits poet Robert Adamson and photographer Juno Gemes on the Hawkesbury River, NSW in 1994 Darren carries the Sacred Fire from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, outside Old Parliament House, before the then prime minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generations, March 2008 Anangu Minyma Law woman Nura Ward, who believed that being collaborative and wanting to share her knowledge with non-Indigenous women would ensure the continuity of her culture Prof Marcia Langton backstage at the 2013 Deadly awards at the Sydney Opera House, where she presented the inaugural Marcia Langton lifetime award for leadership Then prime minister Kevin Rudd invited Stolen Generations members Netta Cahill, Lorna Cubillo and Valerie Day to witness the presentation of the apology in the House of Representatives. They comfort each other after the reading of the bill on 13 February 2008 Anangu Law woman Nelly Patterson, family and community members dance during the Uluru Handback 25th anniversary celebration in 2010 The Sacred Fire is always kept burning at the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy, 2014
