Around the Campfire: Voice to Parliament | Elders and Senior Leaders panel

Please join us with respected Senior Elders-on-Campus, Dr Uncle Richard ‘Balang/Japaljarri’ Fejo, Senior Larrakia Elder and Dr Aunty Pat Miller, Senior Arrernte Elder, together with Mr Murphy Dhayirra Yunupingu, Yolŋu Cultural Leader and Cultural Educator, Aunty Miliwanga Sandy Wurrben, Elder and Cultural Educator and Aunty Pat Ansell Dodds, artist, activist and Flinders Lecturer as they share their insights and open discussion about the Voice to Parliament from a community perspective.

The community panel will enact respectful deep listening, share a range of perspectives, and contribute to the national conversation on a Voice to Parliament.

Facilitated by Professor Simone Tur, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Indigenous), Yankunytjatjara Woman and Associate Professor Kalinda Griffiths, Director, Poche SA+NT, Yawuru Woman.

We also welcome you to join in the VC congress room from 12:00pm to watch a livestream of the 2023 Chalmers Oration

When: Thursday, 21 September 2023

Where: VC Congress Room, Charles Darwin University, Cnr University Drive North & University Drive West, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0909

Chalmers Oration livestream: 12:00pm – 1.00pm (ACST)

Around the Campfire: Voice to Parliament | Elders and Senior Leaders community panel in-person: 1:30pm – 3:00pm Followed by light refreshments (30min)

Biographies:

Dr. Uncle Richard ‘Balang/Japaljarri’ Fejo

Darwin Senior Elder on Campus Mr Richard ‘Balang/Japaljarri’ Fejo is a Larrakia man (his father’s country) and Wurramungu from Tennant Creek (his mother’s country). Mr Fejo has presented Larrakia Welcome to Country in Darwin since 1994 and is a locally recognised and accepted Elder in his community. He is serving in his third year as the Chairman of the Larrakia Nation in Darwin and recently joined the board for the NT Australia Day Council. Mr Fejo was previously employed by Northern Territory General Practice Education for eleven years. In this role he spent nine years as the Senior Cultural Educator and five years as the Co-Chair of the National Cultural Educator and Cultural Mentor Network.

Dr. Aunty Pat Miller AO

Alice Springs Elder on Campus Dr Pat Miller AO is a Traditional Owner and Native Title Holder of Alice Springs and accepted by the community as an Arrernte Elder. Dr Miller is well respected for her cultural knowledge and expertise and received a doctorate from Flinders University in 2013, in acknowledgement of her ability to provide culturally appropriate guidance during many years of employment and leadership within Central Australia. She has over a decade of experience with Remote Health Central Australia and was the CEO of the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service.

Mr Murphy Dhayirra Yunupingu

Mr Murphy Dhayirra Yunupingu is a Gumatj Elder residing in the community of Gunyangara, East Arnhem Land, NT. Dhayirra is a Yolŋu cultural authority and a senior cultural advisor and educator for Flinders University. Dhayirra supports cross-cultural learning activities for medical, nursing, and allied health students on placement and acts as an advisory for Flinders University research and operations in East Arnhem Land. Dhayirra has always been a huge advocate for education and “two-way learning” founding the Dhupuma Barker Primary School, an independent primary school, on this principle. Dhayirra has held several positions within the Gumatj Aboriginal Corporation and is a current Board member. He has previously been involved with the Yothu Yindi Foundation and been heavily involved in Garma festival operations. Dhayirra is also a qualified interpreter and has significant experience working in both health and legal fields in this capacity.

Aunty Miliwanga Sandy Wurrben

Miliwanga Wurrben is a traditional Rembarrnga women from the Mirratja clan group, originally from the Central Arnhem region. Miliwanga lives in Wugularr, her skin group is Galijan of the Duwa moity. Miliwanga comes from a family line of traditional healers and is an advocate for sharing the importance of traditional Indigenous healing modalities.

Miliwanga is a traditional artist, weaver, and healer. She has overcome adversity in her own life, coming from the remote regions of the Northern Territory. She stands now as a leader and Elder in her community and an advocate for the rights of Indigenous People.

Miliwanga currently works as a Cultural Advisor and language interpreter, facilitating Cultural Awareness workshops with medical students and mainstream health providers, educating about traditional bush medicine and other traditional health therapies. Miliwanga is the Chairperson for Banatjarl Strongbala Women Association from Jarwoyn Nation in the Northern Territory.

Aunty Patricia Ansell Dodds

Senior Arrernte and Anmatjere woman Perrurle Patricia Ansell Dodds says the dislocation caused by colonisation and the disempowerment of remote communities in the NT intervention has left lasting impacts that have contributed to crime in Alice Springs.

Amid a national spotlight on a spike in violent crime in the remote town, the Alice Springs elder tells Eliza Goetze young Aboriginal people have lost their identity, and the modern law-and-order approach isn't working.

She also calls on Australians to support an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.