A number of day and overnight trips have occurred with over twenty Martu from Jigalong engaging in the program. Martu have also been involved in a number of workshops at the BHP Shed in community: brainstorming how they want the program to run.

Social Ventures Australia (SVA) has featured Martu in their third blog, in a series sharing stories from SVA clients, partners and friends in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to highlight people and organisations like KJ who are uniquely affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Many Martu have always said that older and younger Martu need to teach and learn the knowledge and practices of their old people, Pujiman. Retaining and sharing these practices takes time, planning and a community to bring it all together. Martu who work with KJ and Martumili Artists spent time on country to talk about waru (fire).

Atlas Obscura — a global community of explorers and journalists who focus on unique places and stories — have featured Martu in their January edition, with contributing writer, Reina Gattuso, taking a look at KJ ranger’s work of reinstating cultural burns.

Martu have been making family trees for the kids out of leaves, branches and photographs. Afterwards they studied family trees from KJ’s archives. People of all ages came every week to spend time looking through their family trees — all part of the Women & Families Program!

Parnngurr rangers assisted Martumilli to collect grass for a weaving exhibition. They collected four large bags of grasses, plus a few lunki (witchetty grubs) from the white gums while the younger Martu learnt about grasses for weaving and the plants that can be make into bush sandals. 

KJ has been recording more Martu ninti (knowledge) and wangka (language) after Martu told us we needed to do more. With more pujiman (desert-born people) getting older, there has been a big push to learn from the old people, and to record their stories so that Martu can hold these stories into the future. 

The Punmu Women & Families Program (WFP) team works closely with the ranger teams and the schools to bring whole families together on-country. The WFP teams have many ideas for 2020, including more trips out on-country, being involved in longer camps, coming together to cook, read, play and learn language. 

The Kunawarritji Kinyu rangers have been very active on the Canning Stock Route over the past few months. A highlight was a Pujiman Camp held jointly with the Kiwirrkurra rangers. This featured digging for goannas, cat-hunting, carving and building a spinifex shelter. 

The Parnngurr rangers were involved in the firearms training which was undertaken over three days. Theory, cleaning techniques and safe handling of rifles were are covered, along with a day spent on-country with firearms target shooting.