Every hill got a story
Chapters 13 -18

The Story of Doris Stuart Kngwarreye

"I was born out on Hamilton Downs Station in the early 40s. My father was working on the boundary fence. Mum was out there as well. That is her traditional ground, and the grandparents were out there, the uncles and the sisters, all on my mother's side. Alice Springs, or Mparntwe, was my father’s traditional ground. His name was Donald Stuart. My mother was Lena. She was a McCormick, but married Dad. When work finished there, we came into town [Alice Springs] to live."

Doris Stuart Kngwarreye speaks Central Arrernte. She was a key spokeswoman in the Alice Springs native title claim in the 1990s. Her main Dreamings are Kngwelye [dog] associated with Alhekulyele [Mount Gillen] and Yeperenye, Ntyarlke and Utnerrengatye [caterpillar species].

The Story of Myra Kanakiya Taylor Ah Chee

"I am Alenerntyerpe, Lower Southern Arrernte. After my older sister died of influenza, Dad and Mum moved to Oodnadatta. I was born there in 1932 and left in 1940, when my mother died. Our father brought us back to the Territory. We lived around the Tempe Downs area and in other places until 1945, while Dad was fencing, yard-building and well-sinking.

"Dad's country is Southern Arrernte, 
around Titjikalaand Hugh River and part
 of the Finke River. All his family is from Hermannsburg to Horseshoe Bend. My mother's name was Niningaya, from Lilla Creek and Umbearaarea. My father brought us up in our mother’s language."
Myra's father placed the children in Colebrook Home for schooling and they were all educated there.

"I married Fred Ah Chee in 1954. I had my son Paul and came back here to my family's country".

Myra lives in Alice Springs.

The Story of Francis Jupurrurla Kelly

"I was born at Mount Doreen Station in 1952. My mother was from Chilla Well."

Jupurrurla trained in Darwin as a mechanic and a health worker, and as a young man worked in Yuendumu. He was also "good sports boy – I used to win everything, swimming, running and football".

He is a key figure in Aboriginal media. He has co-directed and acted in the award-winning TV series Bush Mechanics and the documentary Coniston.

The Story of Veronica Dobson Perrurle

As a young girl Veronica lived at Inteyarrkwe [Ross River], with her mother's parents who worked at the station. After going to school at Arltunga Mission, Veronica went to Alice Springs to live with her auntie, Peggy Turner, and she worked as a cleaner at Cavenagh's cool drink factory before having a family of four children.

While Veronica was working as a cleaner at the Institute for Aboriginal Development, linguist John Henderson asked her to work with the linguists in the language centre. She translated and interpreted, taught language and developed curriculum. She co-compiled the Eastern and Central Arrernte to English Dictionary and has written several other books about Arrernte culture and language.

She was awarded an Order of Australia for maintaining and fostering language and culture and Indigenous ecological knowledge.

The Story of Jimmy Wave Hill Japalyi

"My father's country is near Daly Waters. 
I was born at Katherine Low Level [Nature Reserve] in 1941. This was just before
 the Japanese were bombing Darwin and Katherine. Then, after, my father took me out to Newcastle [Waters] Station and he keep me there until my mother passed away."

Jimmy Wave Hill continued to travel to stations in the Top End and Barkly region with his father. He began to work as a stockman 
on Delamere Station when he was sixteen and nine years later went to Wave Hill Station, working in the Number 2 Stock Camp. He was involved in the Wave Hill walk off in 1966.
 He met and married Betty Wave Hill there.

Jimmy has represented Daguragu on the Central Land Council since 2001.