Arrurlenge Arntanta-areme (ARRA) is a group of Aboriginal Congress staff who watch over and look after the Congress Arrurlenge (History Project) by providing cultural safety advice. The current members of the group are Lazarus Gallagher, Angela Hampton and Sabella Turner. Raymond Walters has recently finished working at Congress, but will continue to contribute to ARRA as an invited guest. We would also like to acknowledge previous staff member, Glen Sharpe, who assisted in the establishment and strong growth of ARRA prior to Raymond.
Angela Hampton was born in Alice Springs and grew up a little bit here, and a little bit all over Australia. She settled in Alice Springs as a teenager, got married, had children and travelled through the NT before moving back permanently to Central Australia so her children could learn more about their family, culture and country.
Angela thinks ARRA is important as it provides relevant input and guidance to the History Project. She has passion and belief in the values of Congress, and it being a pioneer in Aboriginal self-determination and empowerment. She thinks the rich history of Congress has significantly influenced the way that Central Australia is shaped today, and that we should be proud to show this history in a contemporary way that still values and respects the community.
Lazarus Pinu Janpijimpa Gallagher was born in Alice Springs and grew up in two communities (Nyirrpi and Areyonga). Lazarus speaks both Warlpiri and Pitjantjatjara languages – which was a bit hard growing up but is really valuable today. He has fond memories of his big families in both communities.
Lazarus believes that ARRA is very important to give good cultural advice because the Congress history is about all the different people of this area so it’s important to tell the story in the proper way. He thinks the strong beginnings of Congress with marches and protests for indigenous health in Central Australia history is a really important story to tell.
Sabella Turner is a Central Arrernte woman working as Congress’ Cultural Lead. Sabella and her own family grew up in Santa Teresa, Alice Springs and surrounding areas. She trained as an Aboriginal Health Worker at Santa Teresa and has worked at Tangentyere’s Night Patrol and in Child Care, CAAMA, IAD language in schools and CLC.
Sabella thinks this project is important because we need to show our kids that history is important and to document our stories for our future generations. Arrurlenge Arntanta-areme is the way to make sure that culture is in the history work. She particularly likes that men and women are in equal place on the ARRA, working together.
Raymond Walters Penangke is an Anmatyerre man with strong connection to Arrernte, Warlpiri, Kaytetye and Western Aranda families. He grew up at Mt Nancy camp in Alice Springs, Ti Tree, Yuelumu and Yuendumu, attended Braitling and Ti Tree Primary and Yirara College, Billanook in Melbourne and completed high school in Darwin (St Johns College). He lived for a couple of years at Milikapiti on Tiwi Island, with one of his grandfathers who was taken from Coniston as a child during the stolen generation.
Raymond thinks ARRA is important because it ensures a local culture and community lens across the whole history project. He believes the ARRA members shared knowledge from lived experience, knowledge of families and language groups, and established networks is essential elements connecting community and the history project.
Raymond is excited to share and celebrate important stories from Congress’ history such as the lunch program. The Congress lunch program supported families in need by providing recess and lunch to their children who were attending school to learn.