“For Martu people who live in this land, it’s the song lines and the land that’s so special to them. We connect with the land – it’s our dreaming, our spirits, our culture. It’s our life.”

Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ) was created by Martu to work, strengthen and sustain our communities. Guided by our elders, KJ aims to:
• support Martu to look after culture and country
• build a viable economy in Martu communities; and
• build pathways for young Martu to a healthy future.

In this wangka (discussion), we would like to share the core elements of KJ’s Ngurra, Ninti and Yiwarra Martuku – Kujunkarrinyjangka or Country, Culture and Community Framework which guides our work through a Martu worldview. We explore the concepts of the:
• Jukurrpa – the Creative epoch where the country, the law and Martu people were created and/or given shape;
• Walyja – our sense of belonging and identity through connection to family and country;
• Ngurra (country) – as a narrative holding stories and songs about the many living entities of the Jukurrpa which still reside in the land as waterholes, hills and other landforms;
• Wangka (language) – as being critical component of our ability to describe and pass on rich knowledge of country, plants and animals to younger generations.

We would like to share how embedding a Martu worldview in our environmental, cultural and social programs creates greater integration, engagement and better outcomes for our community.

Kujungkarrinyjangka – together, we invite you to join us in a discussion on how Indigenous ranger work transcends its natural resource management origins into a powerful tool for community development, cohesion and well-being.