Jarlmadangah Burru Aboriginal Community, south east of Derby in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, is built around strong social values and a dedication to the maintenance of Nyikina-Mangala Law and Culture.

 

Nyikina and Mangala are the two language groups in Jarlmadangah Burru. Nyikina is the traditional language of the area, while the Mangala language came across from the desert with the people who were forced into slave labour on the pastoral stations on the Fitzroy River.
Nyikina-Mangala elders John and Harry Watson witnessed the theft of Aboriginal land, the denial of education and the impoverishment of their people. Jarlmadangah Burru is the result of their life-long struggle to maintain their language, law and culture, and educate new generations.

 

The community, formed in 1987, now has its own clinic, school, camel tours, cultural mapping and community development programs, a women's centre and the Ngyginah Cattle Company which runs Mt Anderson Station. All major decisions concerning the community are made at meetings where everyone can attend and have their say.

Nestled amidst the beautiful Grant Ranges, with vibrant history and culture, Jarlmadangah Burru is a shining example of a successful, working Aboriginal Community.