Tjanimaku Tjukurpa: how one young man came good

Book Review by Melissa Lindeman

Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjartjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council, Alice Springs A children’s book seems an unlikely outcome of a men’s group established to talk about violence and its impacts. Published by the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjartjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council in Central Australia, Tjanimaku Tjukurpa: how one young man came good1 , tells the story of Tjanima, a boy who grows into an angry young man. Although written for young Anangu2 (10+), their families and communities, it can be for “anyone seeking to better understand mental health, trauma and healing”. The book is set in the NPY lands, the tri-state border region of region of South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia, an area larger than the state of Victoria and roughly the size of Germany. Around 6,000 Anangu live in 26 communities throughout the region, still speaking their traditional languages. The book is published in two of these (Pitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra) with the English translation on each page of both versions.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Jan Bauer, and documents a story developed by almost 20 Anangu men during a series of workshops. The story is told simply, from the point of view of Tjanima’s grandfather, who knows both the sorrows and hardships faced by his family and community and the joys and deep meaning from a sense of belonging to his traditional culture. It conveys hope, while also providing a window into the complexities and difficulties facing Anangu living in remote communities.

The book follows the 2017 publication of Tjulpu and Walpa3 the story of two girls, one who has a good life supported by family and culture, and the other who is lost in the world of alcohol, family violence and unsupported pregnancy. Tjulpu and Walpa stemmed from the work of a senior group of women who had been meeting for several years learning about mental health issues. They wanted to offer an alternative to the trajectory that had seemed almost inevitable for many of their young people. The women thought men should have the same chance to learn about trauma and healing: Elders and traditional healers (Ngangkari4) working alongside a group of Western health professionals to develop a shared language and understanding for discussing these difficult concepts. The women advocated for the establishment of the men’s group, as they could see the benefits if senior men had the same opportunity5 . There are other outcomes from both the women’s and men’s groups, but these children’s books provide an accessible ‘way in’ to understanding something of Anangu life, as well as offering a glimpse into the remarkable work these senior Anangu are doing for their communities. They are also beautifully presented and a real pleasure to own, and purchase supports the important work of the NPY Women’s Council.

1 https://www.npywc.org.au/product/tjanimaku-tjukurpa/ 2 People from the NPY region. 3 Published by NPY Women’s Council, Alice Springs, 2017. https://www.npywc.org.au/product/tjulpu-and-walpa-two-children-two-roads/ 4 More information about the work of Ngangkaris can be found at: https://www.npywc.org.au/what-we-do/ngangkari-traditional-healers/ 5 Kim Mahood wrote about the beginnings of this men’s group and their journey, similar to a group of senior women who had already been meeting for several years learning about mental health issues. The Monthly, At the edge of comprehension (Dec 2018-Jan 2019) https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2018/december/1543582800/kim-mahood/edge-comprehension#mtr