Bush Trip to Yuendumu

lawnmower has been retired

 On our way to Nyrripi and Yuendumu, we took a side road to Mount Wedge Outstation. It's pretty much deserted now and left to ruin, but the small house on the property was actually in pretty good shape. The big house was completely trashed and taken over by wildlife by the amount of kangaroo poo, and the dead goanna in the bathtub. All the outbuildings are in good shape though, but most of the solar panels are broken or stolen. These cool paintings were painted directly onto the walls.

kitchen at small house

the dunny

water tower

former garden

kitchen at the big house

dead goanna in the tub

old tractor

gov accommodation at Yuendumu

Unrest in Central Australia

Yuendumu

     If you live anywhere but Australia, you likely have not heard about what has been going on here in central Australia for the past couple of years. I recall reading about it before I came only because I was interested in all things Australia and wanted to know what it was all about. If you live in Australia though, you would have heard plenty, particularly if you have been living in the Northern Territory. A couple of years ago there was a death in one of the remote communities I travel to often. You can read more about that here, or watch a short news video here. As well, any Google search of the community will turn up various and assorted video, news, and blog stories about the ongoing unrest. This death sparked ongoing violence and rioting both in the community and here in Alice Springs allegedly because traditional payback was not doled out as expected.

These weapons were seized by police

     This week in Alice Springs there was a preliminary inquiry dealing with a violent incident that happened in one of the town camps here, related again back to the issues in Yuendumu. As it happens, one of the people implicated in the violence is a well known footy star, Liam Jarra who is from Yuendumu. The press has been camped out outside the courthouse just half a block from my office all week, and there has been hundreds of people in town to testify, watch, and show support for either side. It was deemed at the end of the inquiry today that Liam must stand trial for his role in the recent incident in the town camp. There was quite a brawl outside the courthouse earlier this week it appears, and you can watch some of that here.

this bus was burned last week in Yuendumu

     This violence has gotten so bad they've brought in extra police to the remote community when things ramp up. There are two sides, and they have been fighting for more than 2 years now. No one is immune, children, elders, pregnant women, all are fair game when the rioting starts. In the community, the schools lock the children in behind barbed wire fences to keep them from being enticed into the rioting. Many families left when it was really bad and moved to Adelaide in South Australia for many months. Some of those families came back, some didn't. One of my youth clients refuses to live there because she feels afraid. We are often told we cannot travel there on a given day or week because of the ongoing violence and the police cannot guarantee our safety. It is the largest remote community in our jurisdiction, and so most workers have at least one case there or several.
     Many people feel the violence can end when both sides agree to have a tribal council to finally settle the matter, but until they agree, the violence is likely to continue. In traditional times, payback would be doled out immediately and the wrong forgiven I'm told. Now payback seems to go on forever. I don't know when this will end, I don't know if anyone knows.

people in Yuendumu riots

     For folks like me living here in Alice Springs, it does create a great sense of unease. There are several hundred extra people staying in town this week for the inquiry, meaning the town camps are full, the hostels are full, and there are people everywhere, spoiling for a fight. I crossed the pedway across the dry riverbank earlier this week with a large group of men on each end. I wasn't sure what was up, but I could feel the tension. I hurried home and locked my doors behind me. There are police officers stationed outside the courthouse all day trying to keep the peace. There are more stationed at all of the bottle shops in addition to the usual security guards (bottle shops are liquor stores). There are police patrolling the town camps. We were warned today not to go to one of the town camps because of an outbreak of violence last night. With the inquiry wrapped up today, there is likely to be a lot of drinking and fighting going on. I'll be in my house, with my doors locked. I know the police are trying their best to keep everyone safe, but there are only so many of them to go around. I do not envy them their job.
     And tomorrow morning, I head out with my team for an overnight bush trip to Nyrripi and Yuendumu. We are lodging at a house in Yuendumu that is next door to the police station, both fenced off and secure, and I'll have two police officers from my team to keep me company. I hope that nothing ramps up tomorrow night in Yuendumu, but I really don't know for sure what will happen. All I can say is I am apprehensive but hopeful. While DCF and police have not been at the centre of the unrest in Yuendumu, sometimes one can be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Wish me luck. I think I'll need it.

Social Worker Guilt

     As a social worker fresh out of university, we come equipped with fresh ideas of how we are going to change the world, be the agent of change, to HELP people. Then give it ten years and one starts thinking about the people they have encountered over the years. Every once in awhile there is a child that crawls into your lap and camps out in your heart in the middle of all the chaos. For me it is a little one I met here. The child of a fifteen year old mother who is diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. They both needed a mother. I never saw as strong a bond as I have witnessed between these two in any family I've come across prior or since they came into my life. They were more like sisters than mother and daughter, and the point came when the daughter was gaining on the mother's knowledge and common sense. I'm not the caseworker anymore as I do just short term involvement, but this case I kept for many months past when I should, hoping things would improve. They didn't, they got worse, but yet that bond between them remained.
     I haven't seen this little one for many months, but I see her mother all the time in my local community, and despite what has transpired over the months, this mother will come up to me, all 4'10" of her and give me a big embrace. She smiles when I see her, calls me by name, and talks to me about her daughter, and how much they both liked me, that she misses me. I saw her again tonight, intoxicated, being followed around by two men who clearly were looking to take advantage of her. She came up to me again, and hugged me for more than usual. She wanted to tell me what her plans were for the night, get some food to cook for supper and go home. I knew it wasn't the truth. I felt sad knowing she would likely be going for more alcohol with these men, and end up who knows where while her daughter was raised by others. How can I help her? There is no easy answer. Her damaged brain makes it difficult to make the positive choices in her life, so she finds herself a victim over and over. Who will help her? What can be done?
     Her life story is full of trauma and ugliness, sprinkled with times with her beautiful daughter who has done exceptionally well despite the troublesome history. A bright and engaging child, smart as a whip, and charming to a fault, she captures the heart of everyone who encounters her. Her mother has clearly done many things well for this child who has beautiful manners, growing curiosity about the world. and most of all, unrelenting love for her mother. This too makes me feel sad. Will this child grow up knowing her mother? Or will she drift apart from her? Where will these two be in fifteen or twenty years when the child has grown and left the system far behind? Was there something I could have done differently to alter the path they were set upon? Was there something I did that caused the current path to continue? Will I even know what happened to them both? Not likely. It is rare that we get to hear what happens to the families we encounter over the years, particularly if as social workers, we ourselves move on to new opportunities in other towns, states, countries.
     Yes, I am feeling rather melancholy tonight, thinking about these two. I wish things could be different for them. They deserve to be happy. They deserve to live together. In an ideal world, they could be in care together, with someone helping them get through life together. I know there are programs like that around the world, but not here. Not now. My heart is heavy. I wish them well.

Raising Joeys

 So my friend K. fosters baby joeys that have lost their mother either through hunting or accident on the highway. These are Rose and Dora, just the cutest things! I fed one of the girls, and then they hopped around for a bit, and got their nappy changed before jumping headfirst into their pillowcases which is where they sleep as it's pouch like. They are then wrapped in blankets and sweaters to keep them warm as there isn't much fat on them yet to keep them warm. Cute as ever!!

Beware of Racing Camels

 So yesterday I went to my first ever Camel Cup here in Alice Springs. I went with friends which is always fun and we tossed back some cans of XXXX beer in the warm winter sun. I'd never seen camels racing and it was hilarious! Camels were clearly not cut out for racing as they are hard to manage. Some want to simply turn around and go back the other way, some just want to hang out with the crowd, and some buck their rider and continue bucking long after the rider has been thrown, while others just trot along with no rider enjoying the run. Crazy! Camels are such funny creatures, it was a joy to see their personalities come out. There were tons of people too, it constantly amazes me at how many people turn out for events here when there seems to be something going on almost every weekend year round in Alice Springs. I love it!

the real camel toe

What's Up Down Under

Life has been ticking right along here in Alice Springs. We are in the dead of winter now, and what a winter it has been...heh heh. Temperatures have plummeted as low as -4.7C at night, and as high as 30C during the day. I can live with that. I do not know how I will ever go back to a Canadian winter...

Of course, the frigid temperatures here in central Australia has sent the locals running to bundle up in winter boots, puffy jackets, hats aka beanies, scarves, gloves, and thermal underwear. I kid you not. Meanwhile I'm still wearing sundresses and sandals...which of us looks ridiculous in the hot afternoon sun? I'll admit the mornings are a little chilly and I do put on a cardigan to walk to work, but it is shed after I arrive and not worn for the rest of the day, as it doesn't take very long to warm up outside once the sun rises.

One would think they were in the frozen Canadian temperatures too with the issues people have been having with water pipes too. It happened at the house of a friend and in my building as well. Thankfully I have had no leaks but I reckon the freezing comes from having absolutely no insulation in the houses or around the pipes. I'm not sure why that is, because the winters do get chilly here, so why wouldn't you insulate your house and pipes? Winter comes every single year...

My garden continues to thrive, and I am getting very good at pressing that button ever day to water. Someday I may even figure out the timer...the birds have been coming in after my seed bells finally, and drive Dundee nuts as they swoop into the courtyard to feed. We have also had another feline in our courtyard, one that I would like to capture and set free about a 100kms from here, the little bastard. He stalks my house, and between the hours of 1-3am, comes into the courtyard to terrorize and taunt Dundee through the window. It's a huge orange long haired tom cat and sometimes he just sits there on the awning above the window, peeping down through it, while Dundee leaps up the window frames. Damn, Dundee is dumb as a bag of hammers sometimes...I don't know what he thinks he will accomplish by leaping at the window. I'm sure my neighbor must hear the racket and commotion each night when the bastard is out there. I haven't seen her in weeks to explain what has been going on.

Had a brawl break out in front of my building a few nights ago. I woke to people yelling in English, which was odd, so that tells me they were from two different mobs. There must have been about 10 people, and there was talk of weapons (which usually do not mean guns) and then I heard someone pick up a steel pipe from somewhere, so I called the police. Of course, then a car came by and they scattered like mice, so by the time the police came, there wasn't much going on. It did make me nervous though, as I knew someone was going to get beat if they hadn't broke up like they did.

Went to an 80's party last weekend and it was a hoot and a half. Between dancing to the retro tunes (yeah, my high school years are now considered retro years) and sending up fireworks, I had a great time. The fireworks were a bit risky, and totally illegal to set them off now, as the law states you can only purchase and use fireworks on Territory Day in the Northern Territory. They are banned in all of the states. I can see why...people lose their damned minds over them. For some of the fellas, the goal was to tip them over as they shot out at everyone and caught shit on fire. Great. One even flew under my car and I'm certain, if it burned much longer, my car would have gone up in flames...and I'm quite certain my insurance does not cover fireworks damage...

This weekend is the annual Camel Cup, which I'll be heading out to on Saturday with some friends. I didn't go last year, but plan to take it all in this year for sure. Apparently there is about 30 minutes of racing and the rest of the day is spent drinking pints...sounds like a great day!