A conversation with West Arnhem community researchers
| Author | Conrad Maralngurra,Dean Yibarbuk,Terrah Guymala,Rosemary Nabulwad |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1035719X221145252 |
| Published date | 01 March 2023 |
| Date | 01 March 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Special Feature |
Special Feature
Evaluation Journal of Australasia
2023, Vol. 23(1) 59–61
© The Author(s) 2022
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DOI: 10.1177/1035719X221145252
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A conversation with West
Arnhem community
researchers
Conrad Maralngurra, Dean Yibarbuk, Terrah Guymala and
Rosemary Nabulwad
In conversation with John Guenther
Background
John: One of the more enjoyable evaluations I have worked on in recent years has been
an evaluation of an independent homeland school called the Nawarddeken Academy
(see evaluation report here (https://www.nawarddekenacademy.com/_files/ugd/
75b820_bbee48f1a6c94c86bc5d40466bf82229.pdf). Apart from the amazing loca-
tions of the homelands in the West Arnhem Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area, the
pleasure of this work has been more about the community-based research ers I and a
colleague from Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, have worked with.
Towards the end of the project, I sat down with four of the community researchers and had a
yarn with them about the evaluation. A video-recording of the conversation can be
found here (https://youtu.be/PTjHINuTzKI).
Some of our team have been involved in research and evaluation for quite some
time, as Dean explains.
Dean: Mid-year in 1990, I got myself involved in setting up the Aboriginal Research
Practice Network, ARPNET program. We just got hosted by CDU, under the CDU
wing. I think that’s where I learnt a bit more, research and community consultation and
all that, knowing that I would push beyond, beyond things that are needed in the
homelands. One thing that I’d noticed, education was not delivered in the homelands.
One thing that I’d noticed, there were no adequate houses in the community, over-
populating and all that. Other things I’ve noticed, organisations such as Bawinanga
wasn’t delivering adequate support and all that. It took me, all these things, networks,
where now I sit and understand I work toward trying to achieve something, not just for
myself. I’m doing it for people.
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