Passing on traditional knowledge at the Epenarra Artists' camp: part of our work with indigenous communities in Australia.

As the sun set, the elders sang and painted their daughters and granddaughters. The group of young girls, who usually run around from morning til night, full of boundless energy, sat silent and motionless as their grandmothers prepared them for dancing. When they were ready, the elders taught them the Kankerr (blue tongue lizard) dance and the traditional Alywerre-rntweyel.

The Epenarra Artists had been planning this camp for six months. In August 2011, seven Indigenous elders, their daughters and granddaughters packed into three troop carriers and a HiLux and drove out of Wutunugurra. The elders navigated the overgrown tracks until they reached a beautiful soakage (water point) where they would stay for the next three nights.

The elders had support from World Vision to liaise with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (Office for Art), Artback NT and the Central Land Council, who all helped fund the camp’s activities.

The aim was to provide an opportunity for the elders to pass on their knowledge to the next generation and strengthen their culture. 

By organising the camp, the women also grew their planning and decision-making skills, which are important to running their art group successfully. Not only that, two of the women built up their filmmaking skills by filming the dance camp and editing the footage into an educational DVD, which will be distributed amongst the community and the local school. They will be able to use their camera and editing skills in future to develop other learning resources.

After the camp, the girls practised their dances with the help of the elders and prepared for a performance. Epenarra Artists held a community barbecue to celebrate. On the night of the performance one of the elders described in the local language the dances the girls were performing to the approximately 130 people in attendance, while another woman translated into English.

The Epenarra Artists and their community worked hard to make this camp and the activities following it a success. By creating a meaningful program for the young girls involved, they’ve strengthened their own skills and made sure their knowledge is passed on to the next generation.