A 3500km journey of discovery
Gerry
Clarke, Human Resources Manager, Flexible Learning Centre, recently
participated in a field trip to the Pitjantjatjara Lands as part of his
professional development program. The field trip is conducted by the
Spencer Gulf Rural Health School, a joint initiative of the University
of South Australia and the University of Adelaide.
Joy, sadness, delight, fear and hope were but some of the emotions experienced by the 11 participants – a doctor, two social workers, an academic, a professional developer, five clinical psychology masters students and me – on the Seventh Bringing Cultures Together Field Trip to the Pitjantjatjara Lands.
Our first stop was Coober Pedy, the Umoona Tjutagku Aboriginal Health Service – where healthcare workers play a key role in delivering both patient care and preventative measures – and the Umoona Aged Care Home. The aged care facility is run by an elected community board of Aboriginal elders, who place great importance on ensuring tradition and culture are respected. They lament that their generation may be the last raised traditionally and that they are not able to pass on their knowledge to future generations – thousands of years of knowledge lost forever.
Next, a detour via Breakaways Reserve, home to the Muntuntjara and Antakirinja people, to the opal mining town of Mintabie. The scenic beauty of this place is breathtaking.
Dirt roads led us the next day to Fregon to visit the Kaltjiti Aboriginal community, which is usually closed to outsiders.
We were privileged to experience an INMA (Pitjanjatjara word for Corroboree) performed by traditional dancers, other elders and three young boys.
One of the highlights of the trip for me was a simple game of kick-to-kick with some young boys, including the boys who had danced for us the previous night. Many barriers had been broken down through our engagement with the community the night before.
It was then back onto the bumpy and dusty roads as we headed for Uluru. The spiritual beliefs surrounding Uluru form an integral part of the Unangu people’s Mutitjulu culture and impacts on them today as it has done for thousands of years. But, in the shadows of the grandeur and extravagance of the Yulara resort, the Mutitjulu community battles for survival, with financial, health, education and social problems to overcome.
During the return journey, I reflected on the future of these communities. Two factors gave me cause for hope. First, the spirit and achievements of Aboriginal people over more than 50,000 years. Second, inspired by the passion and attitudes of the students on the trip, I was convinced that our young people have the opportunity and capacity to work with the communities to find solutions to their very real problems.
If you would like to join one of the three field trips planned for 2007, contact Pat Sketchley, Spencer Gulf Rural Health School at pat.sketchley@unisa.edu.au or (08) 8647 8098.