Kulintja Kutju - Tristate Empowered Communities

Aṉangu leadership was at the centre of the Tristate Child and Youth Policy and Advocacy Forum held in Mparntwe/Alice Springs last month. The forum brought together Kulintja Kutju, Child and Youth Commissioners and Guardians from WA, SA and NT, and key organisations working across the NPY region to listen, share knowledge and talk about what children, young people and families need to thrive. A key takeaway from the forum was the need for equity in Youth service funding for Ngaanyatjarra Lands communities to ensure young people across the NPY region have equitable access to strong, community-led Youth programs and support.

We are grateful to Dr Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA; Shona Reid, Guardian for Children and Young People SA; and Shahleena Musk, Children's Commissioner NT for listening with care and commitment and we look forward to continuing this important work together.

Thank you to the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) for making this important work possible.

Last week Kulintja Kutju held Workshop 1 of the 2026 Leadership Program in Yulara, bringing together Aṉangu leaders from across the NPY region.

The first workshop focused on Leadership of Self - building confidence, strengthening connections and creating space for participants to reflect on leadership, culture, responsibility and community. Across the week, participants took part in group activities, discussions, storytelling and On-Country learning, while also hearing from leaders who shared their own experiences and journeys.

A huge thank you to all of this year’s participants who travelled from across the NPY region to be part of the program, and for bringing so much energy and openness to the first workshop.

We also want to sincerely acknowledge the Leadership Program facilitators - Mark Campbell, Reshaune Singer, Brenda Douglas, Frena Jacob and Tanya Lucky for bringing so much of themselves to the workshop - their stories, experience, humour, knowledge and deep commitment to Aṉangu leadership.

A big thank you also to Sammy Wilson for taking us out On Country with Patji Tours, to Voyages and Nyangatjatjara College for hosting us, and to all of the organisations and employers who made it possible for their staff to attend. Special thank you to our media partner, NG Media for helping with ongoing learning and development of the program.

We are very grateful for the strong start to this year’s program and look forward to coming back together for Workshop 2 in July.

MYTH: You may have heard that enrolling to vote and voting aren’t compulsory…
FACT: Actually, they are!
We’re here to bust some myths about voting in our five-part series.

To kick off the series let’s start with this one…👀
MYTH: If I don’t have ID, I can’t enrol or vote…
Bust the myth and see the fact in the pic below.
Enrol now at aec.gov.au/enrol/

Today is National Sorry Day.

We remember the Stolen Generations — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people forcibly removed from their families and communities under government policy. That pain didn’t end. It lives in our families and communities today.

As Empowered Communities, we feel this. We see it in our regions, in our families, in the work we do every day alongside our people.

We honour the strength and resilience of Stolen Generations Survivors — yesterday, today, and always.

On May 6 - 7th Kulintja Kutju and the Cross Borders Indigenous Family Violence Program team co-hosted the Tristate Justice Summit in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, bringing together Anangu leaders, community organisations, government agencies and justice representatives from across the NPY region.

Across the two days, conversations focused on strengthening communication between communities and the justice system, increasing Anangu involvement in decision making, and sharing the powerful work already happening across the region through community-led programs and initiatives.

A huge thank you to everyone who travelled to be part of the conversations, shared their experiences and knowledge, and helped make the summit such a strong and successful gathering. Special thanks also to all presenters, panellists and partner organisations who contributed across the two days. We look forward to continuing the conversations and partnerships that came out of the summit.