A group of Anangu Elders travelled to Yulara to sing and dance at the Inma (ceremony) and traditional opening of the Tjungu Festival at Ayers Rock Resort at the Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park.
Anangu senior law woman and resort cultural advisor, Alison Hunt organises the cultural side of the Inma Ceremony and welcome, and says: "Being together, understanding learning and sharing with non-Indigenous people is important, Aboriginal people especially the tribal people want to work and interact with white people and teach them so they can learn and understand what culture is and how important culture is. That's why they come to the festival so they can showcase their song and dance through performing."
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Be proud of your body
Aunty Alison and the women in her family still dance in the traditional way, not wearing their shirts and painting their bodies for the Inma Ceremony.
"To perform law and culture you have to paint up your body, take your clothes off, take your top off. Because traditionally, the right way, the culture way to showcase your Tjukurpa on your body, your story, your singing and that," says Aunty Alison.
"The Elders always tell the young people, you can't dance there with the top, you got to take the top off and get painted, so you can be proud Aboriginal women who are the next generation to take on your country, your law and culture and your song and dance".
"As a child growing up that's how I was taught, no shyness so I can show my culture and tradition."
Aunty Alison worries that young people today are too shy and body conscious, and fears the impact this will have on traditions.
"I don't know how we going to come around that, but I do understand that because they too shy that people are looking at their body, but that's how I grew up, that's how I was taught. And so I'm proud to dance topless to many people watching, and I don't think about that because I'm thinking about the songs that I have to follow when I'm dancing and performing, instead of being shy and losing it on stage."
Annagu Cultural advisor Alison Hunt performing Inma Ceremony at Tjungu Festival Yulara 2017 Source: SBS Radio Living Black
'I carry their message'
When it comes to respecting her people's protocols and working within a western framework at the resort, Aunty Alison's role places her in the position where bringing the Elders into the festival means she is responsible for everyone.
"Protocol is very important and you've got to learn protocol cause it's a very conflict situation," she says.
"You know like simple little things of misunderstanding can create a problem for yourself, so it's important to communicate and listen to people like us, like me - I'm a two way white and black understanding.
"Listen to us and learn from us because I speak on behalf of my tribal Elders and I carry their message, so I'm a messenger."
A traditional welcome from Anangu Senior Elders Murray George and Alison Hunt opening the Tjungu Festival at Voyages Ayers Rock Resort. Source: SBS Radio Living Black
Mr and Mrs George are originally from the APY Lands and live in Adelaide. They travel to the Tjungu Festival to sing and dance with other Anangu women from Kaltjiti (Fregon) and Adelaide. Aunty Alison introduced the women in Pitjantjatjara language in the podcast.
The other women who sang and danced at the Inma are Mantua, Rachel Stephens, Mrs Richards from Adelaide, Mrs Nukanya Norris, Porgie Edwards from Fregon and Audrey Aumella from Mimili who lives in Adelaide.
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Cultural exchange and sharing
This year at the Tjungu Festival Aunty Alison welcomed Wurndjeri Elder Aunty Diane Kerr from Melbourne to the Festival.
"Aunty Di is always there for me, she travels a few kilometres to come and welcome me into her country Melbourne and I feel so honoured," she says.
"I feel so good when I'm doing my healings and bush medicine that I know there is a traditional person in there, an owner of the country."
Aunty Alison went through the protocols which involved asking Aunty Diane Kerr's permission to bring her bush remedy on the Kulin Nations to run her healing workshops.
At the Tjungu Festival, Aunty Diane was welcomed into country by Aunty Alison and her family, and shared the celebration of the festival by being included in the women's circle.
Tjungu Festival Inma 2017. Diane Kerr, Murray George, Alison Hunt and Kirstyn Lindsay. Source: SBS Radio Living Black