Ku tek

I walked out to the White Subaru again today - by myself this time. Tim is in Nhulunbuy for the weekend, covering obstetrics (and having a lovely catch up with the grand daughters. And a fathers' day breakfast today). 

I saw 2 girls going back the other way, and then a man, his wife and another lady.  He stopped to talk. He said that this is his wife's country.  I'd just seen a red-tailed black cockatoo, and I asked her if that's her totem.  Yes, it is. Ku tek.  He said, it's protecting you.  He works for Catholic Care, as a drug and alcohol worker.  I floated with him the thought of a controlled sale of alcohol.  He said, "the people need to take responsibility first."  Wise words.

Cycads are ancient plants. They seem to survive the annual burn.

New shoots

And treasure! Orchids grow on them. 

Grog or no grog?

Grog: such a complex issue. The following article highlights the problems: foetal alcohol syndrome, or partial syndrome, developmental abnormalities; domestic violence; mental health issues and suicide.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/-10c9rv.html

Wadeye is a dry community. But it isn't! The white people can get a grog license, and some of them drink well over safe limits. And Aboriginal people smuggle it in. The police try to control it, but they also have to sleep.

Many people report that they drink most days - refreshingly honest about it, but it's concerning nevertheless.

We wonder if abstinence is the best goal. It's failing miserably! What about controlled supply: no more than 4 drinks a day, no takeaways, in a place where we could all socialise? 

Out walking late yesterday: the White Subaru is still there

I walked with Tracy - she's dwarfed by this termite mound

An orchid growing on a cycad - very special find 

Funding cuts

Here is a link to a news article about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders' responses to government policies and budget cuts.  Pretty distressing.

http://www.alsnswact.org.au/news_items/130 

Wadeye - Port Keats

Galiwin'ku seems like a dream now! We've been in Wadeye 3 weeks. I was sad to leave, but felt the whole experience was very worthwhile; at the very least, it was good to facilitate the registrars staying there till the end of their term.  I flew out with them and Jeremy's parents, on Saturday morning - only one flight a day to Elcho.  I got up early, went bird watching, checked in my stuff at the airport, home for the last tidy up - after a swing by the registrars' place to see a recently created bower.

the bower from side-on.  about 30cm high

the bower from end-on.  I would love to see the male displaying there!  See all the green things he's collected.

A lovely beach walk my last night - mine the only footprints on the sand. 

With the registrars, waiting for the plane

- - - 

It was great to meet up with Tim in Darwin! And we had a good weekend there before coming out to Wadeye. We caught up with Julie U'Ren and Dave Pugh (she's Tim's cousin) - and their family. 

Wadeye. The familiar. It's good to be back.  The team seems to be functioning well and reasonably settled. Tracey is an energetic leader. As in previous years, Tim's working in the acute area, and I'm in the chronic conditions area, focussing on catching up with checkups for people with rheumatic heart disease, and also people with diabetes and/or kidney disease.  So there's plenty to do! Sometimes I've found I'm not too busy - partly because people don't always want to come for checkups.  But I've had some great conversations with people.  It's always good to see people we've met before.  Often they remember us.  We of course have the advantage of the medical record to help our memory.  It does seem though, that returning several times is building some relationships and rapport.  I think we are also feeling more comfortable, as well as being very aware that we're still learning.

The clinic is quite well staffed at the moment, so I'm working in a room which used to be an office.  On the shelf I found a cultural orientation book, and some language resources.  It's really interesting to read the cultural information.  I've made some notes on the 22 clans - their language, totems, the family groups and the traditional owners. It's a good thing to talk about - where their country is, how often they visit, the kinds of bush food available there etc.  Some clans' country is 2 hours' drive away.

We had a "scabies day" last week. The clinic was closed for the day, and the team divided into small groups to drive around the community giving out soap, washing powder and scabies cream, to try and treat everyone all at once.  The council had been around earlier giving out plastic bags for a rubbish collection.  Many people were cleaning up their yards.  One lady was glad when we came - it gave her an excuse to stop raking and tidying, and sit down to rest.  It all felt quite paternalistic in a way. Tim and I were apprehensive about it.  But it didn't turn out that way. We were mostly well received, and people accepted the soap and cream, and listened to the explanations.  So many people live in each house!  We had some fun and good chats with people.  There was a BBQ lunch in town, put on by the clinic - for the whole community.  Sausages and white bread!  I'm not sure that's a good health message.

I went in to Darwin later that day, for a GP supervisors' training day.  Tim came in the next day (Friday) after work. And we had the weekend in Darwin. It was great fun!  Botanic Gardens, and Museum-and-Art-Gallery - had the entries for the national indigenous art award. It was great to spend time there. And a great cafe in both places!  We also saw "Charlie's Country" at the Deckchair Cinema - a great movie, and fun to see it at that venue. We met a lady there with whom we'd trekked in Nepal with the Leprosy Mussion!  We did a bit of food shopping, and I went for a swim. Lovely.

We've been assigned a different house this time, and it's very comfortable, right on the edge of the town - it looks out over the cemetery.  The need to lock gates and doors is sad, and a contrast to Galiwin'ku; also the midgies here mean that we can't sit outside on the veranda - which was just so lovely in Galiwin'ku.  Comparisons are odious!!  I've found a new bird watching spot and continue to enjoy weekend mornings in the bush, just wandering slowly, listening, looking.  I've also walked out out to Blue Bucket a few times after work. Continuing further along that track would lead to the White Subaru, and Dee Creek.  Turning off the track leads to Air Force Hill, the back way (the usual way is along the main road into town) - you know it's the right way, because you pass Washing Machine.  These are the kinds of landmarks that our western mind can understand!  I have a great respect for the Aboriginal people who just know their way about.  Their landmarks are things that we may not see, but they are there, and they have meaning in the whole scheme of life and worldview.

Blue Bucket used to be on a tree - but at least it's still there!

On the way home from Blue Bucket

We've enjoyed a couple of BBQs at the beach, and it's great to take team members who haven't been there before!  It's great to get out of town and see the water, and of course the sunset over the water is always a great treat for us Southerners.  I don't think you can have too many sunset photos..

Christobel is still wandering around the community!

We look out onto the cemetery

We we're given some mudcrabs last night! So then we had the challenge of cooking & preparing. Quite yummy, surprisingly so for a creature that lives in mud. Tim couldn't eat them in case of the shellfish allergy.

Yesterday (Sunday) we had a phone call from one of the team, advising there was a lot of alcohol about, with fighting & injuries, and the police wanted us all to stay at home all locked up. We did go out for a walk later in the day, out past Blue Bucket. We heard today that someone died last night - rolled the car. It's so sad - it was a guy Tim had seen recently, someone motivated to work on his health. Then a family member came to see us today - quite upset - that makes two family members they have to bury out at her father's country .

Beautiful new buds & shoots in a dry & burnt area. Perhaps there is hope. It's hard to see sometimes - but it is there

Q&A

Q&A was live from the Garma Festival last night.  It was a great programme with honest and robust discussion, and was hopeful and inspring.  Great!  Watch it if you can.  Here's the link

Watching Q&A Noel Pearson, Nova Peris, Ken Wyatt, Djawa Yunupingu, Joe
Morrison & Dhnggal Gurruwiwi in iview
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/qanda/FA1307H027S00

Stop.Think.Respect

From the beyondblue website:

"Stop. Think. Respect.

beyondblue's new national anti-discrimination campaign highlights the impact of racism on the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Research shows that subtle or 'casual' racism can be just as harmful as more overt forms. Imagine being judged in a job interview by the colour of your skin, rather than the strength of your CV. How would you feel if you were watched in a shop or treated differently on public transport? 

Why should anyone be made to feel like crap, just for being who they are?   

Stop. Think. Respect. encourages everyone in Australia to check their behaviour. Stop the discrimination, think about how your comments or actions could cause real distress and harm, and respect people who are different from you."

The video is worth watching: it made me think.  

http://youtu.be/MvTyI41PvTk

Suspicion, mistrust, fear of difference, insecurity, uncertainty...  Many things contribute to racism.  It's ugly.  And can be subtle.. we all need to stop, think, and respect.

I've really enjoyed going for walks in the late afternoon.  It's great to get out into the community and surrounding bush.  I've realised that I'm very suspicious and untrusting of the dogs!  There are lots of stories and cautions to take a stick, or pick up a rock.  Mostly, they're fine, and I've met some friendly ones.  

It was good to go to church yesterday.  It was a low key event.  The bell rang early: I went along over an hour later, and was in plenty of time.  Some singing to start, then the service leader talked about what she'd experienced the day before had helped her as a person.  The clay she was working with became a picture for her in her faith journey, and she talked about it naturally and with humour, in both her language (Yolngu Matha) and in English.  Then the lay pastor spoke.  I didn't understand what he was saying, but it was good to see him there.  He's the father of the woman in her 40's, the one we sent to Darwin, who died in ICU.  

I find people here to be gracious, friendly and open - whether in the clinic, at church, or out and about.  

Follow up

One of the hard things about working in this context is follow up.  It seems really hard to finish things - to see a medical problem reach a suitable conclusion.  The medical records software has recalls.  Doctors add recalls to follow up abnormal results.  Then there are all the check up recalls for chronic conditions and general heatlh checks.  And immunisation recalls.  All these recalls - lists are generated for follow up.  But the lists are overwhelming!  It's hard to prioritise.  Often follow up is very ad hoc, and depends on people coming in for something else.  Or, drivers go out into the community with a list, and try to find people and ask them to come to the clinic.  Sometimes they come, sometimes they don't.

As clinic staff, our priority is health and follow up, wanting to do good medicine for people.  But for the people here, coming to the clinic is just one of many priorities, and sometimes it's just not important enough to come.  This is hard for us to understand!  But we need to learn how to work with the community more effectively, and part of that is understanding all the issues.

The clinic staff also have to deal with many priorities.  Often there will be visitors from outside, who come to get us revved up in their field, and do a better job at it.  On Wednesday it was STI's.  No one would deny that testing and treatment is really, really important.  But for the people who came to talk about it, that's all they do.  The clinic has to do everything...  (Actually it was a really good visit, and part of it was that a male Aboriginal Health Practitioner from Nhulunbuy came, and worked with Jeremy (doctor) and others, to run a sex education afternoon for boys)

The chronic disease nurse is just back from holidays.  She said she used to work till 7pm most days, checking the follow up lists, working on things.  But she nearly burnt out, and has decided that she can only do so much, and she needs to look after herself better.  It's the work-life balance.

Speaking of which - it's a long weekend again this weekend.  Monday is NT Picnic Day.  So that gives me 3 mornings for extended bird watching, 3 afternoons for longer walks, with plenty of time in between to read, rest, just watch the sea, do housework etc.  Lovely!  The birds were elusive this morning, till I stepped off the track and went towards some bird song.  Then I saw quite a few!  Perhaps there's a picture there: be willing to leave the comfort zone.. probably stretching it too much.  Actually I was happy just standing in the bush (on the path) and listening.  This afternoon I had a lovely walk, a new route.  Jeremy had told me about it.  It's the sea end of the wetlands.

I love watching the sea. It's changing all the time.  Yesterday , having breakfast , I saw a strange log floating a good way out.  It really looked like a crocodile - and it was!  I could see the morning sun shine on the plates of its tail.  Sometimes only its head was showing.  I did take a few photos - will post one next week when I can get it off the camera.  Big croc!  I passed on the news at the morning team meeting.  No sign of it today.