For many years, our people have been learning and adapting to the challenges and opportunities in modern Australia. Together as a nation, we are focusing our attention and resources on cultural, social and economic wellbeing and development for all Yindjibarndi. As we build a roadmap for our collective journey, we are committed to strengthening our nation, repairing some of the damage our community has suffered, and working to close the gap on First Nations disparity in our region.
Under the guidance of Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) and Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation (YNAC), Yindjibarndi Nation is responsible for managing and coordinating the delivery of key projects under our three focus areas of community, culture and commerce.
We strengthen
Community
Building and supporting individual and collective wellbeing through community centred, future focused projects.
Yindjibarndi Nation’s community focus is long-term and strategic, harnessing the strength of Yindjibarndi culture, the wisdom of our elders and the passion of our young people. Our vision is simple: for a unified and cohesive community free from violence and struggle, and with the ability to access opportunity and resources to support our old people and youth, and raise happy, healthy families.
Some of the key projects in the current community portfolio under Yindjibarndi Nation are:
Yindjibarndi Homelands Movement
Having unrestricted opportunity to care for, connect with and manage our homelands is integral to the wellbeing of our people. We are currently supporting projects at Ngurrawaana and Buminjina communities, working to provide sustainable infrastructure to enable ongoing use of our special places.
Housing
Yindjibarndi people have long suffered poor living conditions through policies and funding allocation that does not reflect the needs of our community. As a nation, our vision is for every Yindjibarndi person to have a safe and secure place to live.
Nation Building
Strengthening our nation requires consistent and evolving community engagement. Based on best practice Indigenous self-determination and empowerment principles, we are focused on developing a clear and cohesive collective agenda to achieve positive social, cultural and economic outcomes for our community.
We teach
Culture
Maintaining cultural connection and wellbeing by prioritising our ngurra, lore and kinship values.
Our culture is at the centre of everything. Through colonisation, historical racist policies and being dispossessed of our lands, we have fought to maintain the culture of our ancestors as given to us by creation spirit, Mingkala. As a result, some of our traditional ways of being have been eroded, and today, we are working to rebuild them.
We are celebrating and maintaining Yindjibarndi culture through:
Media and archiving
Working with other Yindjibarndi entities, we preserve and protect culture through archiving, digitising and recording Yindjibarndi stories, songs and sites.
On country access
Our vision is for all Yindjibarndi to have equitable access to cultural experiences and connection on country. Through vehicle provision, cultural camps and time spent with knowledge holders on ngurra, we are working to ensure all Yindjibarndi feel a strong sense of identity and connection into the future.
Cultural heritage
We work with stakeholders to minimise the impact of mining developments on country, ensuring our interests and culture are respected and heard.
We build
Commercial
Building strategic partnerships and expanding capabilities to improve Yindjibarndi’s material wealth, ensuring we deliver equitable access to the benefits this brings.
Through commercial enterprises, our aim is to generate wealth from culturally responsible use of country and pass this on equitably to our community. We are focusing on rebuilding the capabilities of our people, through real opportunities – skills training as well as career and educational pathways. The long-term goal for our nation is to see meaningful and ongoing opportunities for our people. Yindjibarndi Nation is committed to self-determination and empowered commercial choices for First Nations; we are working towards this as part of our strategic focus on commerce.
Our commercial ventures currently focus on:
Partnering to create opportunities
With long-term wealth building in mind, we partner and support existing and new businesses, which in turn provide employment opportunities for our people.
Culturally responsible use of ngurra
We harness Yindjibarndi’s strong knowledge of our lands to develop sustainable and responsible opportunities on country. Through supporting ventures such as Yindjibarndi Water and Yurra’s Ranger program, we prioritise commercial enterprises which uphold our cultural obligations to ngurra. As part of our commitment to minimising impacts of development, we are taking proactive steps to engage and negotiate with stakeholders on use of our land.
