Other Projects undertaken by EON since 2005

EON will support the expansion of the DMCP to be delivered by UFPA into more remote communities.

Walkabout Boys in Perth 2009

During the Perth Premier of the Cannes Film Festival award-winning movie Samson and Delilah, EON sponsored Yiylli-based indigenous contemporary rock group The Walkabout Boys to fly from their community about 100kms west of Halls Creek to perform in Perth. The ten-member band also performed at KIPAS, Too Solid Awards and the Indigenous Showcase held at the Charles Hotel in Perth. Bel Skinner, Music Lecturer from Kimberley TAFE reports that the boys also played two performances in Halls Creek for their home –coming, which she says was a really positive rap for their exciting trip away. EON will watch their progress with great interest – their music and lyrics are powerful and poignant and continue to support them whenever possible.

Mooditj noongar yorgas (strong noongar girls) wearable art fashion program

Mooditj Noongar Yorgas means ‘Strong Noongar Girls.’ The group started in 2005, and was comprised of 22 young women aged 11 to 17, sharing a common goal to ‘escape the everyday,’ and set big visions for the future. Many encountered problems with health, literacy and self-esteem. They wanted to live ‘Mooditj,’ and devised ways to ‘be strong’ by caring for each other, getting educated and learning about their culture. The girls shared a common interest in fashion and beauty, and this formed the basis of the ‘Wearable Art Fashion Program.’

The project was generated by the young women, with Lynley Pickett and Jaime Phillips mentoring them, and managing the process. Uncle Angus Wallam provided cultural guidance for the project, emphasizing respect for self, community and culture. 

The girls, with the help of elders, designed garments relevant to their culture. The project culminated with a fashion show in the Katanning Town Hall where, in front of hundreds of people, the girls modeled their outfits.

An indication of the success of the program is that participants were invited to speak at Colgate University in New York in March 2007. Two of the girls also spoke at the ‘Are We There Yet?’ National Youth Affairs Conference in 2007. Funding from EON enabled the girls to attend these events.

The program resulted in increased confidence, increased awareness of culture and identity, understanding of wider audiences for Noongar art and culture, little or no involvement in risk-taking behaviour, increased school attendance, enhanced public speaking skills and increased networking and communication skills.

Indigenous tourism initiatives

EON assists indigenous people create businesses and small tourist ventures that can offer a wealth of opportunities for Aboriginal people to capitalize on the increasing tourism to the Kimberley region. These ventures provide tourists with unique indigenous and cultural experiences such as fishing, hunting, bird watching, bush tucker, mud-crabbing etc, based on the traditional skills of its people. EON created a website for Ardi Indigenous Tourism Association to help the fledgling businesses market their offering to potential customers. EON is looking at other ways it can help local businesses, from mentoring to micro-loans.

Travel

Experience and evidence shows that travel outside remote communities is a valuable tool and provides a view of life and opportunities in a wider world. However, because of the remoteness and expense of travel to major regional centres or cities, this opportunity is rare. EON uses cash and frequent flyer to points to provide travel to Aboriginal people from remote communities for educational and cultural purposes.

To date, EON has provided travel for:

  • 10 kids to attend an indigenous tourism conference in Perth in 2006
  • Group of 8-10 year old boys from the Kimberley to travel to Perth (many for the first time) to indulge their love of Australian Rules football, play with Perth-based non-Indigenous children, visit educational and cultural ventures in Perth (including the Perth Zoo) and see how life is in a big city.
  • A group of 11-12 year old girls from the Kimberley to Perth to play basketball, investigate edible gardens in Perth schools, and visit cultural sites.
  • A group of two girls and their leader to New York for cultural exchange with Colgate University A group of three girls to Melbourne to speak at an indigenous conference.

Yarri Wada Puppet Project

EON was the major sponsor of the 2007 Yarri Wada puppet project, which worked with communities along the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. At least 160 people in 3 communities were involved in building puppets and using them to tell stories of their culture and deliver health and education messages.

Phase I provided training workshops on puppet building and storytelling for the communities along the Gibb River Road. These included Mowanjum, Kupungarri (Mt Barnett) and Ngallagunda (Gibb River Station). This first phase centered on the creation of two giant Gwion Gwion figures - ancient ancestor figures that are central to the cultural and spiritual history of the Kimberley. Elders in each of the communities have agreed that these figures should begin the story telling process.

Phase II was built on Phase I, returning to stories collected in Phase I that were shaped into performances that targeted specific health and education outcomes.

In April 2008 the Yarri Wada Puppet Troupe travelled to Perth to perform at the international Million Puppets Project.