Belinda Wayne Napaljarri

Yuendumu, NT

I am a Senior Community Researcher, working for the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust and Central Land Council.

I have been working since 2019 on research and evaluation projects in Warlpiri communities with a focus on youth development, educational, language and cultural programs. At first I just wanted to try research. I knew our community and our family groups, but I really wanted to learn how we could talk to different people and ages through research. I was introduced to this work by Karina Menkhorst and Emma Brown (CLC) and began working with other Yapa ladies, like Marlkirdi Rose Napaljarri (Senior Yapa Researcher, La Trobe University) and Glenda Wayne Napaljarri (Senior Community Researcher, CLC).

For the last two years I have been working with youth, talking to them and interviewing them, listening to their stories and working as a team with other researchers to make sense of what we hear using the WETT map. We use this WETT map to present feedback to the WETT Advisory Committee. We work with the advisory committee and with WETT’s partner organisations to bring young people’s voices and share what they need in community. I have also shared this story at the World Community Development Conference in Darwin, the Australian Evaluation Society Conference in Brisbane (2023) and Melbourne (2024) and the AIATSIS Conference in Melbourne (2024).

In 2022 and 2023 I also worked as a researcher on a food security research project with Congress. In this project I supported Congress staff organising community visits and doing a survey with young mothers and grandmothers. This helped us understand the issues for the community about food. We presented this back to the community and also at workshops in Alice Springs and Cairns.

Now I feel strong as a researcher and feel confident talking to family and others in community, Yapa (Aboriginal people) and kardyia (non-Aboriginal people). I feel strong and I’ve learned the skills to do this.

Research is important to me because I want to learn both ways and to help the community and other organisations on projects in many different ways within Warlpiri communities and other communities.

My skills as a researcher:

Developing research questions
Planning fieldwork
Working safely and managing conflict
Understanding of Yapa culture and Law and how to follow cultural protocols in research
Two-way language skills – Warlpiri, English, Luritja
Translation and transcription
Sense-making
Organising community meetings to share research findings
Communication, planning, reflecting and learning together as researchers
Presenting at conferences and workshops

Other work experience:

Former Assistant Teacher, Yuendumu School (1993-2000)
Old people’s program worker, Yuendumu (1999)
Mental health worker, Yuendumu (2000s)
Alcohol and Other Drugs Worker (2018)
Intensive Family Service worker, Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (2019)
Aboriginal Coordinator, Child & Family Centre (2021 – 2024)
Marlpa Jungu Jinta-ngka Early Childhood Reference Group facilitator (2019 – 2024)
Safe House Coordinator with Territory Families (2024- present)

Community leadership roles:

Yuendumu GMAAAC Committee member (2014 – present)
Southern Ngalia Dancers cultural support worker (2022 – present)
Yuendumu Women’s Centre Board member (2019 – 2020)
GMAAAC Board member (2020 – 2023)
Two community projects with Marlpa Jungu Jinta-ngka – Making Yuendumu Beautiful mural project (2024) and Healing the Spirit wellbeing resource kit (2023). We brought this resource to the SNAICC conference.
Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation board member (2020 – 2022)

Education:

Computer training
Literacy training
Diploma in Early Childhood Education, Batchelor College
Further training in curriculum and teaching, Batchelor College

My availability to work as a researcher:

I am available for research projects in Yuendumu or any other communities if a researcher is needed. Please call me on my number: 0459 693657 / 0474 351127