The Yiriman Project is a cultural youth diversionary project designed and
governed by Elders from within a cultural block in the south west Kimberley
that includes Nyikina, Mangala, Karajarri and Walmajarri language regions.
This large area of country extends from Bidyadanga in the west Kimberley to
Balgo in the southern Kimberley. Recently Yiriman has also supported
relevant projects in the wider Fitzroy Valley.
In the Nyikina language, the word Yiriman means ʻbringing out stories in our
young peopleʼ.
“This organisation has showed good feeling (& my feeling) about young
people changing…..coming good & wanting to do more of these sort of
walks and back to country trips, looking after country, jila (water) and
looking after animals. We want to do more of that - instead of walking
around town & those places…where suicide, drinking & other bad
things happening around town and communities. Young people got no
jobs, no future….we gotta show them their base (homelands). If we
donʼt showʼem country & identity…your nothing!ʼ
John Watson, who, with his brother Harry Watson, set up Jarlmadangah community, is a Nyikina/Mangala Elder and Yiriman Founding Director .
Several of the young men whose work is shown here are from Jarlmadangah. They, along with other participants,
photographed and filmed during a recent Yiriman ten day men’s walk . The walk was led by cultural bosses John Watson, Peter Clancy and Joe Green
Some of the work produced has been put up here on the Jarlmadangah blog for the purpose of SharingStories.
