Sharing together: Ngururrpa and Ngurrara Women's Camp

What a fantastic trip recently that Ngururrpa Rangers and Ngurrara women rangers had together at a women's camp, 75km South of Balgo Community at Yagga Yagga, located on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. Both teams' ranger development project ideas of coming together for a camp on-Country came about from a shared concern that women have around being able to engage young women in their ranger programs.

Being out on-Country and having opportunities to hunt bush turkey, gather bush coconuts and tomato and visit special places, as well as opportunities to share stories and discuss topics important to women brings people together, is reaffirming for connecting to all things important to Indigenous women. A highlight of the trip was a silk scarf dyeing workshop, facilitated by Chantelle Murray (Marnin Studio, Fitzroy Crossing) where Chantelle taught the women how to use native plants to dye scarves and different dyeing techniques. Everyone loved this workshop and got to take home scarves.

Women camps are of high value as they provide respite from the many different roles women play within their families and communities, and where the right space can be created for everyone to connect to Country and culture, and for other activities to take place.

A big shout out to Lotterywest for providing funding to the Ranger Development Program so that these important on-Country camps can happen.