Njanjma Rangers keeping country and culture healthy

FROM 30 April to 4 May the Njanjma Rangers held their Healthy Country Planning workshop in Gunbalanya and surrounds.

Significant outcomes were achieved throughout the five days of planning, none more so than the further building of a strong partnership with the Gunbalanya School. 
Gunbalanya School Co-Principal Esther Djayhgurrnga attended the workshop and assisted with shaping Njanjma’s vision for the future to include Healthy People in addition to Healthy Country.

The Njanjma Rangers have always placed strong importance on the conservation and protection of cultural heritage in addition to the management and service of visitors to West Arnhem Land.  By including Healthy People and Social Capacity alongside Healthy Country and Culture in their planning, Njanjma are developing a whole-of-community and whole-of-landscape plan for the Bininj not yet born. 

The workshop followed a participatory planning process called Stepping Stones for Heritage, facilitated by Nicholas Hall and Petrine McCrohan for Stepwise Heritage and Tourism. The members and associates of Djabulukgu Association have used this planning process with a number of clan based Stepping Stones Workshops like the Manbiyarra Development Plan, the Mandjurrlgunj and Bunitj Clan Moneylines Workshops and the Manilikarra Business Planning Workshops.

Discussions amongst the group included what is important to Njanjma, what are our values and our threats and how we as a ranger group work to make sure these values are maintained. 
Each area of activity became a priority department for Njanjma Operations, but with an understanding that Njanjma work on many things that come together to work as one. 

“It’s like the segments of a turtle shell,” Esther said, “separate pieces making up one whole shell.”

Njanjma officially commenced operations in late 2014 on the third attempt to gain Working on Country (WoC) funding through the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.  Djabulukgu Association Incorporated (DAI) Chair and Manilkarra Senior Traditional Owner Alfred Nayinggul said the “third time lucky” application was not luck at all.

“Our recent successes have come from a lot of hard work and a strong commitment to see the job through,” Alfred said. “My father (Na Godjok Nayinggul) would be so very proud of all of us right now, I just know it!”

He said Njanjma’s third and successful application was strengthened greatly by the accompaniment of the Njanjma Rangers Interim Management and Operations Plan. 

“We got a small amount of money from through the Regional Economic Development Fund from the NT Government,” Alfred said. “This made all the difference and I thank the NT Government and the Chief Minister for making all this possible.  While I’m at it, I sincerely want to thank the Australian Government Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Mr. Nigel Scullion for his and his department’s commitment to DAI and Njanjma since 2012 through both the Indigenous Employment Program and now the Working on Country Program.”

The Njanjma Rangers are indebted to all those who have helped them get to where they are today, in particular Parks Australia, On Country Training Australia, Stepwise Heritage and Tourism, Angus Knight/Jobfind, the Northern Land Council, the Kakadu West Arnhem Social Trust and Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation.

The Njanjma Rangers Healthy People and Healthy County Plan will be completed by 30 June 2015. However, as Njanjma Rangers Program Manager Trent Wilkinson points out, a plan of this nature is never really complete.

“It’s on-going,” Trent said. “It’s early days for Njanjma, but the future looks bright. With Njanjma having interests in Kakadu National Park as well as West Arnhem Land we are building a whole of landscape management pathway that will produce economic, employment and social benefits to Bininj of the region for another 65 years.”