CLC DELEGATES – REGION 1
Alice Springs
Barbara Shaw
Former CLC deputy chair. First female CLC delegate for Tangentyere Council, where she co-coordinates the family safety group targeting domestic violence in town camps. Youth worker and Aboriginals Benefit Account advisory committee member. Uluru Statement working group member.
Engagement officer with the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT. Former Green Party candidate and board member of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, Institute for Aboriginal Development and Central Australian Aboriginal Programmes Unit. National Nuclear Free Alliance and co-chair of Aboriginal Housing NT. Advocate for a better education system.
Ingrid Williams
Details coming
Matthew Palmer
Mr Palmer chairs and helped to found the Alice Springs native title representative body, Lhere Artepe, and was a court interpreter for six years.
“I’ve worked all my life, since I was 16, and it’s kept me out of trouble. I have been on the Ingkerreke board, looking after my people since my twenties.”
That’s also when he was elected as a CLC delegate for the first time. “I was busy and I loved it. I was on the executive and I’m happy to be back.”
Mr Palmer plans to “talk up to get more things done, like housing. It’s really important. We still live in a tin shed – me, my family, my children and their children”.
He grew up at Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa) and believes it is important for people to tell the stories of where they were raised.
“We get the stories from our grandparents and I’m really proud of that. We keep the land strong.”
Mildred Inkamala
Former family support worker and court interpreter. “I have accreditation for translating and a lot of other certificates. I have worked with children, in nutrition, with mums and babies, I worked with Territory Families and with night patrol, helping young people.
“In 1995 we had lots of sniffers. It was terrible. I used to look after them and did programs with them at the clinic. We also set up the old drop-in centre [with the help of the Central Australian Youth Link-Up Service] for them. The sniffing finished. It was so peaceful. They respected us.”
“Now I am with Connections”
“Houses in outstations are important. If there were new houses, families could stay longer at their outstations. My outstation is where I belong. It’s my father’s and grandfather’s land. It’s good for the children to know where their connection is. Our outstations got spirits that will look after us. You don’t feel scared”.
Glen Sharpe
Mr Sharpe has been a liaison officer at the Alice Springs hospital since 2013.
“I like speaking my language and helping patients and families to understand the medical side of things, and I worked at Aboriginal Legal Aid for seven years, helping clients to understand the law.”
He has been a health researcher at the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. “I learned that overcrowding is a big problem for health.”
Mr Sharpe plans to use his position on the council to advocate for real jobs in remote communities. “Young people need to be paid properly for their work out bush. When you give people good jobs they can help their family and their children to grow better.”
Byron (Troy) Ratara
Former teacher at the Ipolera outstation and Ntaria schools. “I wear lots of hats back at Hermannsburg.”
His father Byron and his uncle Conrad, a long-term CLC delegate, are his role models. “Byron passed on all the knowledge [for me to] stand up. My uncle Ivan Emitja was my teacher all along and supported me with a very strong power. He took care of me and was my hero.”
“When I got elected as a CLC delegate I felt so proud. My target is the outstations. To get families back so they can have good, affordable houses. It’s good to see the young ones go back to the outstations so they can learn more about their culture and history on their land, and to work alongside other organisations.”
Christian Malbunka
In his five years with the Tjuwanpa Rangers based at Ntaria (Hermannsburg) Mr Malbunka “would travel around, fence, test water and work with Parks”.
“I was grown up at three outstations – Kaporilya, Palm Paddock and Alkarinja and was fencing and learning to break horses from when I was six years old. All the uncles and my father Rodney Malbunka taught us how to work.
I want to speak up for outstations. People love staying at outstations and working. Our grandfathers left the country for us to look after.”
Roseanne Ellis
Artist, CLC delegate since 1998, advocate for community rights, chair of the Amoonguna Health Board. Director of the Imwernkenhe Aboriginal Corporation and member of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory.
Proud of helping to make Amoonguna independent and “taking control of things the community needs”.
“I want to listen to and communicate with the community.”
Raymond Palmer
Community leader and school attendance officer at Ltyentye Apurte. Director and former chair of the community’s Atyenhenge Atherre Aboriginal Corporation and member of Ltyentye Apurte’s community development working group.
“The community elected me as a voice for Ltyentye Apurte. I am proud of representing my community as a CLC delegate and of achieving 90 per cent school attendance. Our school has a nutrition program, so our students have breakfast and lunch at school.”
Conrad Ratara
Long-term CLC delegate, former chair of the Tjuwanpa Resource Centre and member of Ntaria’s community lease money working group.
“I am proud to be working with the CLC, the land and the Western Arrernte people. I have learnt a lot from the CLC in that time. It is good to work with CLC members and young members coming on board.”
David Silverton
Born and grew up at the Urana outstation. “It makes me very proud when I go back and work there and clean it up. I’ve done contract work, carpentry and things like that. I want to straighten out my little outstation, get more projects to get young people working. I want to teach and train them. I was thinking about ranger projects.”
“I am proud to be in my mum’s position, learning and taking on what muy mum has taught me.”
Patrick Oliver
Educated at Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa) school. Former carpenter, station, aged care and dialysis worker. CLC delegate since 1995.
“I am proud of what I have done, where I am now and being a strong speaker.”
Francis Hayes
Details coming
Rodney Katatuna
“My community elected me to represent them. I am new, so I want to learn first how to talk up. My cousin was a CLC delegate and is sick. I want to learn and be a voice for my community.”
Gordon Abbott
Former Aboriginal Interpreter Services employee. “I would like to follow in my father’s footsteps and be a role model for my community and my people.”