The competence of Oombulgurri citizens was expanded through 78 citizens participating in 22 local, national and international training events and the establishment of a primary school and pre-school in the community.
A community store was established which turned a profit by the second year, supplied nutritious food, trained residents in commercial skills and controlled liquor abuse.
The revitalization of the traditional “Wunan” caring and sharing system altered dependence on un-employed benefits and saved the government $903,000 in tax support.
The Oombulguri people developed a high degree of community organization by using their own heritage to assign all adults to working guilds such as the store, poultry and cattle and cleaning by neighborhood groups.
The up-keep, maintenance, and design of the physical environment was an indication of a recovered community identity, which also manifested in re-instated initiation rites and corroborates.
Basic nutrition and preventive care systems drastically reduced anaemia and eliminated infant mortality during a time in which the national Aboriginal average was 10%.
BACKGROUND
POPULATION: In 1973, fifty Aboriginal people decided to travel up the Forrest River north of Wyndham to resettle on their tribal land that had been abandoned in 1968. With an initial grant from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and several staff members of the Institute of Cultural Affairs, they began the journey. Within six months they had made a second major decision: to create for themselves and other Aboriginals a new life within today’s world no matter what the cost. They have now grown to 200 with 100 children attending the local Aboriginal school. Most important is that the Aboriginals are now walking tall, seeing themselves through new eyes. They decided to go off direct welfare in 1974 because it was an assault to their dignity.
CHALLENGES: The Oombulqurri Human Development Project (OHDP) is a Community Development Programme of the Aboriginal people of north west Australia. It is a comprehensive effort that involves both the social development and the economic development of the Oombulqurri people. The local citizens conceived of the project, provided the substance for the planning of it, and were responsible for the actuation of it themselves.
HISTORY: The intent of the OHDP was to move the economy toward self-sufficiency, to transpose their ancient heritage into a social fabric relevant to the modern world, and to create the training structures that will enable them to participate effectively in that world. There was also a need to create a comprehensive plan for their future and to experiment in building a community development model that could be replicated among other tribal communities.
