Jeannie Pegg

Kintore, NT

I’m Jeannie Pegg. I’m from Kintore. I grew up here. I was born in Alice Springs in 1980.

I am a local resident of Kintore. I grew up in various communities of WA and the NT including Alice Springs. I am also an artist. I wish to further develop myself and my career in my community so that my skills are useful here. I used to work at CDP as a cook. I helped people do activities, like helping ladies do art. We paint gathering bush tucker, bush medicine, woman’s dreaming. I can draw that on the canvas, do dots. Sometimes I do art at home. I saw family doing paintings. Mum and dad and family. I learnt that way. That was a long time ago. Focusing on paintings and arts makes me happy and keeps my mind focused.

I also used to work in Aged Care and in the shop where I worked. I was cooking takeaway foods. Sometimes I do casual work with housing.

My mum is from Warakurna. I grew up both in dad and mum’s family. My family are Luritja people and Ngaanyatjarra people. Also Pintupi, Arrernte people. I studied in Papunya and Kintore schools. I travel to Warburton, Kirrikurra, Nyrripi, Papunya, Alice Springs. Therefore, I know this area very well.

I live in Kintore with my sister and my brother. My mum and dad have passed away.

I like learning new things. I like to help people in the community. Looking after the family is important. I like bush hunting. I’d like to get a job, to work and help others. We need more people to get a job. Some people don’t have jobs here.

Skills and employment:

Download Jeannie’s full CV here

Current research work:

I am currently working with the Digital Health project at Menzies. I asked people in my community if they were interested in doing this research. I asked them nicely. If they were interested to participating in talking to the researchers, I brought them to interviews. The people in my community were happy and they would like them (the researchers) to come back again. We conducted many interviews and held meetings with community when Menzies researchers came from Alice Springs.

Why research is important to me:

It’s important to help people to understand. Like it’s good to learn new things about health. I like to learn for myself from the research. I need to talk to them and listen to what they say. I would make sure the researchers understand community and works both way so community understands what the researcher is saying. I would explain in Luritja so people understand. I would keep what they say safe, confidential. Working I would have to tell people to be calm and sit down and talk to them (researchers) friendly, nicely, so they can understand you and you can understand them and we can all be friends. Sometimes, I need to talk to them, tell them to calm down. Sometimes they may be upset. Maybe sit down and talk to them, so they listen and become calm. If the researchers did the wrong thing by mistake, I would talk to them. Explain and apologise to community.

Before going to community and approaching people, I would also collect more information from researchers who are not from the community, advise them of the local protocols and what is acceptable and is not acceptable. That will help researchers doing wrong thing to my people. If I see researchers doing wrong things, I will speak up. I like helping. I used to do that a long time ago, those sorts of jobs. It’s making me happy. It’s good to help people. I like learning more so that I can help others. Maybe do training, come back, help people. I used to live in other places like Papunya and I have family there. So, I know people there. I know the communities very well. My dad used to travel with us and show us our family. I know the culture here very well. My cultural heritage and local knowledge are my special skills.

Availability

I am available for community engagement and research activities. I’m happy to help, even if it’s for a short time. I am learning about research. I can take you around community and introduce researchers to people in the community. I am located in Kintore. I like to travel, so sometimes I could work in Papunya, Kiwikurra, Mt Liebig, Haasts Bluff if I am given some time to prepare for myself. I could stay overnight. I have family there. I know the people there very well.

I prefer to be contacted via leaving a message at Pintupi Homelands Health Service as their contact is more reliable. Everyone one in the health service knows me well, and it is easy for to take message from them. Alternatively, I can be contacted by my phone 0456 730 981