Please go to www.arnhemweavers.com.au for more information about Mäpuru and the cultural tours.
The teaching is conducted as it has been for thousands of years in traditional Aboriginal communities. So we sit, we observe the techniques they use and we weave under the watchful eyes of the women. Throughout the ten days we will all share much laughter and fun with the women, men and children under the weaving shelter.
The strength, love and dignity of the Mäpuru people will deeply touch you as they guide us in learning theri ancient ways of being and crafts.
This trip is a rare opportunity to visit a community of Indigenous Australians who are living on and managing their traditional lands.
Ten Days Among the Yolngu People of NE Arnhem Land, Australia
During the ten day workshop we can stay in camp to weave, camp out for a few nights on country, travel away from camp to visit special places on the land and gather bush food, weaving materials, dyes for the baskets, shelter materials etc...Every day will be negotiated between the balanda (white) women and the Mäpuru women. There is no pre-set itinerary.
Everyone will have the chance to make baskets they can take home – perhaps using a coil technique, hand woven technique or string. You will also go home with materials to continue your weaving with. Extra materials, expertly made baskets and mats are also available to buy directly from the women. We will also all gain experience harvesting basket materials, collecting plant dyes and preparing the pandanas or string for weaving.
When it is time to leave our group all gather with the women and give our money directly to each Mäpuru woman who has expertly guided us during the workshop. All of the money we gather to pay for the workshop goes directly to the people of Mäpuru. It is the women of Mäpuru who run the weaving workshops.
Once we have packed our camp and said our goodbyes our group then travels back in our 4WD to Darwin. We arrive back in Darwin late in the afternoon after another 2 day 4WD journey. Usually at this stage we are all exhausted and exhilarated! It would be wonderful to have you there.
So we sit, we observe the techniques they use and we weave under the watchful eyes of the women.
Throughout the following ten days we will all share much laughter and fun with the women, men and children under the weaving shelter.
The teaching is conducted as it has been for thousands of years in traditional Aboriginal communities.
Our group meets in Darwin and then loads everyone’s gear and all of our food for the 2 week journey onto our hired 4WD vehicle. By 8am on our first day of travel we will have our 4WD packed and begin our 2 day drive into some of the remotest parts of North-East Arnhem Land. The scenery is amazing and overnight we will camp at one of the beautiful sites along the way.
Late on the following day we will arrive in Mäpuru and be warmly greeted by Roslyn Guyula Malŋumba, who is one of the senior female weavers of the community. That night we set up our camp (cooking, tents, camp fire) and have a good night’s rest. Our workshop starts the following day - from the moment the Mäpuru women gather under our weaving shelter.
How your ten days unfold
your journey
Filmed in Arnhem Land, 2023
A short documentary, created with the Yolngu People — an offering of culture, connection, and shared story.
Katie and her team acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, of the ancestors and elders – past and present, on which her programs take place. Katie would like to especially recognise the elders past and present who she regularly collaborates with in running her programs. This includes elders from the Gumbanyggirr and Yaegl people of the North Coast of NSW and her adopted Yolngu families of North-East Arnhem Land.
Katie and her team acknowledge that survival skills and nature connection practices are a global knowledge bank held by humans from all races and countries. Katie acknowledges her Scottish, Irish, European and Armenian ancestral lineages and their traditional earth-based living skills.
Survival skills and nature connection practices are the original ways of living that once allowed all humans to exist in harmony with the Earth. In today's world, these traditional earth-based skills remain essential — not only for personal resilience but also for fostering a deeper balance with the natural world. By keeping these practices alive, Katie’s programs help ensure a thriving future for the next generations — one that is in alignment with natural laws and supports a sustainable, interconnected way of life.
Katie would like to show her profound respect and love for all Indigenous communities around the world.
