This painting is PMHC’s logo. It was painted by Fatima Lulu to tell the story and ambitions of our organisation. This story, translated from Walmatjarri language, is transcribed here as an introduction to Palyalatju:

“Coming Together…all peoples from the three communities of Yakka Yakka, Mulan, Kururrungku (Billiluna), and any other outstation that will join in the future… to that one centre at Balgo… also the visitors from the other health departments… coming together to talk and share feelings and culture and working towards a better relationship and health service for the Kutjungka area.

Those black footprints you can see… in the centre… those are the Maparn Man and the nurses and the doctors working together… now… in the Palyalatju Maparnpa Health Service…

Those white footprints… as you can see on the side… they are aboriginal and white people going out from the centre with teaching and good feeling that comes from sharing each others ways and knowledge.

Those egg shapes in the centre are the bush medicines that give us life and heals us when we are sick… or when we are afraid of bad spirits… Sometimes we take nurses and visitors out to the bush as we like to show the beauty of the medicines and the healing that surround us… and we explain it to them… that every bit is useful and not wasted… and we show the next mixed generation so that in the future it will not be lost. And that sharing will stay in our hearts forever… and one day the world will recognize the beauty and value of our traditional medicines.

Those 'C' shapes are of mixed races and different coloured people sitting together sharing and caring and healing each other… mind, body and spirit… to look forward to a better way for the future… so that our hard works and our good feelings will be passed on to the next generations….”

Fatima Lulu
(translated by May Stundi )

 

Our Name

Maparn is the Indigenous word in this region for Indigenous doctors, medicine men, healers. The same word also refers to the actual powers of healing that are invested in these people. Palya translates as ‘good’, and is also used to describe feeling healthy. Latju is a bound pronoun which denotes “Everyone”. While the English is more clumsy in translation, Palyalatju Maparnpa translates from Kukatja language roughly as:

“Our healers/healing practices are good/healthy for everyone"

“Palyalatju Maparnpa” was chosen as the name of this organisation to describe our commitment to promoting the importance of Indigenous knowledge, practices and authority in developing a viable health care system in this region.

 

The Organisation

Palyalatju Maparnpa Health Committee is working towards becoming an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service. MercyCare Health Services currently provides the clinical services in the region, with PMHC working to guide and improve these services to meet the specific needs of the Kutjungka people. We are steadily redeveloping the organisation towards a time when PMHC will assume full responsibility for delivering these primary health services. In the interim we are working to build the capacities of the organisation, staff and committee, and developing programs and practices which set in place principles of Indigenous authority, ownership and participation in all areas concerning Indigenous health in the Kutjungka region. (see map).

 

Funding

PMHC is funded by Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.

PMHC is funded by Office of Aboriginal Health WA to commence an Environmental Health Program.