Please help us get Yolngu back into business

December 2023 WW News Letter

Yolngu once traded with the Macassan wind traders out of Macassa for many centuries….. Now, Yolngu struggle to get employed and to run their own businesses, leaving them with an intergenerational transfer of poverty. ……. Many things they produced and traded in the past could still be traded internationally into Asia and with others across Australia. …….

The main problem for Yolngu is that they cannot understand the English business and legal language that replaced their very effective Asian-connected language.

Why Warriors has studied and speaks this Asia/Australian business language to support Yolngu……..

Plus: The keys to Closing the Gap

Cultural awareness and cross-cultural communication skills are key….

Read More

About Richard Trudgen

Richard was born in Orange NSW and trained as a fitter and turner. He moved to Arnhem Land in the NT in 1973 and became a community worker, learning to speak Djambarrpuyŋu. Has now worked with Yolŋu people for over 45 years. He was the CEO of Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS) for 10 years during which time he developed discovery education methodology with Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra OAM and also established Yolŋu Radio in 2003. He is the author of Why Warriors Lie Down and Die and facilitated ‘Bridging the Gap’ seminars, and delivered corporate training across Australia. He is currently the CEO of Why Warriors Pty Ltd, a community development social enterprise organisation working with Yolngu people. He spends his day writing, producing podcasts and building online learning platforms, producing videos and working face to face with Yolngu. He is also involved in building online cross-cultural training material to build understanding between Indigenous peoples and the Dominant Culture.

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