The Tiwi people at Wurrumiyanga highlighted their focus for the project on Tiwi Way/Tiwi governance.  Tiwi people continuously articulated the need for Tiwi Way to be strengthened through skin group meetings which also included the ‘Ponki Mediation’ cultural process.  Tiwi want to know, learn and understand how to ensure Tiwi governance is valued and can complement and work with western governance to maximise social outcomes for Tiwi people.

Currently there are service providers who have their own individual outcomes, operations and ways of doing which at times may not know how to include the Tiwi Way.   Therefore,  there is a need for further developmental work and tangible assistance to formalise the articulation of Tiwi Way as well as the reestablishment of skin group meetings.   As they understand the need to develop their learning and understanding about Tiwi governance/Tiwi Way to ensure its sustainability in the future.

This ‘Tiwi Way’ influenced and shaped the several workshops delivered to community members at Wurrumiyanga. The successful outcomes of the workshops were achieved using the tool of engagement and facilitation, the ‘Rise UP Program’ Rise UP website. There were several community workshops for the men, women, Elders and young people.  The discussions and learning was of significant cultural relevance, high energy, conceptual and visionary. The workshops were confronting, collaborative, full of learning and hope. Tiwi people were motivated and inspired to consider change for their people, community and their personal life. These workshops were engaging, highly interactive, energetic, fun learning and productive in sourcing Tiwi people’s thinking, voices and their direction for Wurrumiyanga.