Yanalangami Lutruwita.

Strong Women, Strong Communities

*Sisters Journey by maikutena Vicki-Laine Green*

A 3 day retreat | Empowering Aboriginal Women’s leadership on the ground

Saturday September 10th to Tuesday September 13th

SPRING BAY MILL

Yanalangami is a Darug Nation word meaning - to walk together, me and you.

Welcome to Yanalangami Lutruwita.

Walantanalinany Palingina (WAPA) and Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd. (Tranby) are partnering to bring the Yanalangami : Strong Women, Strong Communities program to our women here in Tasmania.

Thankyou to the Tasmanian Community Fund for supporting us to pilot this program.

We are looking forward to sharing this experience with you soon and hope that some of the things we share will inspire and offer support to you.

What is Yanalangami Lutruwita?

Yanalangami is a Darug Nation word meaning - to walk together, me and you. The word emphasises that we as women must first begin walking our own journey, to bring others along on the journey with us.

Yanalangami : Strong Women, Strong Communities is a national program developed by Tranby, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. It empowers women’s leadership on the ground, through culturally safe methods and holistic approaches to healing. It offers support to our women to build their toolkits and activate their change making potential.

Yanalangami Lutruwita will pilot the national Yanalangami program here in a customised retreat for our women.

We know that our communities thrive when our women have the opportunity to pursue their dreams and their goals, and to connect, create and inspire others. When we can create systems of support for this to happen, we contribute to community wellbeing, cultural strength and sustainability.

“The opportunity to create a culturally safe space, to share, to yarn about our business, our concerns, our challenges, our hopes for the future, is critical. Most, importantly, by bringing women together to support each other in our efforts, to celebrate who we are and what we do, and how this affects change, we empower each other, our voices and our futures and embrace our cultural ways of knowing, being, valuing and doing.” Tarni Matson

Is this program for me?

Are you inspired to make positive change for yourself and community?

Would you like to gain more skills to support the changes you would like to make?

Would you like to connect with other like minded women in a culturally safe way?

Do you want to build tools that support you in using your voice, listening and supporting others, and creating systems of support and safety??

About the Program.

The program will be delivered as a 3 day retreat at Spring Bay Mill at Triabunna. Michelle Maynard and Bernice Hookey will facilitate the program which will include some of our women sharing as guest speakers.

There are 16 spots to fill within the program. A minimum of 6 are allocated for island participants. We will organise travel for those travelling from the islands, Launceston and the NW Coast. The workshop retreat will be fully accommodated and catered. Nominations will be assessed by our team and Advisory Council.

We will use self-reflection and personal journey mapping to strengthen self-confidence, self awareness, professional skills and community networks. Using creative processes, cultural tools, sharing and self enquiry tools, we will get inspired, connected and culturally grounded. We will look at where our strength is, our tools of self-empowerment and how to support ourselves and each other in change making.

Together we will:

● Connect with community women building networks of strength and support

● Consider our own personal journey maps – the things that have made us to this point

● Look at our personal journey maps as a collective

● Take a look at leadership including:

○ The diversity of leadership – from leading ourselves to leading communities

○ Core qualities of leadership

○ Values that are important to you in leadership

○ The importance of self-care in leadership

● Learn new tools to:

○ Help support and improve your health and wellbeing

○ Develop your core leadership qualities

○ Culturally ground and reconnect to your individual power

○ Understand your window of tolerance and your optimal learning zone

○ Navigate life’s challenges and empower yourself

○ Build confidence in your personal and professional skills

OUR TEAM.

Tarni Matson – Project Initiator

Tarni Matson grew up on Flinders Island. She is a Tasmanian Aboriginal woman, mother of two young men, leader and cultural practitioner.

With a career in the Australian Public Service spanning 25 years, Tarni currently works for Services Australia as a Director with the Indigenous and Remote Servicing Branch. Tarni is skilled in service delivery, strategic design and advocacy. She applies her understanding diverse communities for improved outcomes for Aboriginal people across the country.

Tarni is passionate about applying her skills and knowledge back in community in a focused grassroots capacity.

Bernice Hookey - Yanalangami National Program Lead Facilitator

Bernice is proud Waanyi woman, mum and Changemaker. She is an accomplished speaker, author, mentor and leader.

A previous Tranby Alumna, Bernice learned new business skills and enhanced her confidence as a leader by learning alongside other Aboriginal students from around the country.

After completing her studies, she embarked on a journey of leadership and founded ZB Empowerment to improve the quality of life for Mob. She is a voice for the voiceless.

In her work as our Lead Yanalangami Facilitator Bernice seeks to strengthen the empowerment of individuals through unique program delivery in a culturally safe environment. Bernice is committed to walking with other women along their leadership journeys and supporting them to thrive.

Michelle Maynard – Co-Facilitator

Michelle Maynard is a contemporary Tasmanian Aboriginal designer, project manager and facilitator within a community development, capacity building and therapeutic context. She is passionate about empowerment, healing, and advocating for her people and country through art and design.

Michelle is powerfully motivated by her family history on the Cape Barren Island Reserve. She is equally inspired by the Grof Transpersonal training she has been undertaking since 2016.

The training, a revolutionary practice in trauma release and self empowerment, inspires Michelle in the potential for personal and community healing within art and cultural practice.