JUNGALA ENTERPRISES PTY LTD

Jungala Enterprises was created by Jungala Kriss
"Jungala" - His name
"Enterprises" - because Jungala had so many ideas to be incorporated into his business plan. Jungala paintings, Jungala t-shirts, postcards, workshops, Cultural Tours, consultancy work also with other endeavours in mind as well.

Jungala's belief is that Aboriginal people now have the ability and know how to do the things that non indigenous people have been doing to profit out of Aboriginal Culture ,whether it be the "Art" industry or within the Tourism Industry.

He believes now is the time for Aboriginal people to take control of their destiny and create economic development using their own culture as a means to create economics and sustainability. To do what comes natural and learn to become competitive in these industries.

Its time Aboriginal people determine who benefits from their culture.
The future is in our hands, our destiny is where we decide to take it.

Jungala Kriss

About Jungala ....

Jungala was born in the bush with traditional midwives attending at his birth. He was at a birthing place where Aboriginal women gave birth to their new borns.

He was born on Narwietooma Station, Northern Territory, Australia. Jungala lived in the bush in the traditional lifestyle, eating traditional foods, living in a humpy and following in the footsteps of his ancestors before him.

At the age of about 5 or 6, Jungala was rounded up by Welfare Government patrol officers like many other aboriginal children and taken to an Institution in Alice Springs called St. Mary's.
Aborigines training of children's act of 1923 and the State children's act of 1895, which gave authorities sweeping powers to commit children to an Institution or into foster care.

The Aborigines Act of 1911 meant that Aboriginal parents had no rights to claim their children.

Most of Jungala's other family members returned to join family in the bush, usually working on cattle stations.

Jungala's older sister Bessie had been in St. Mary's for 12 years. During that period some of the children had been fostered to Church families or spent holidays Interstate with families through the Church.

It was through this placement through the Church and the Welfare Department that Jungala was sent to live with a non-Indigenous family in Lower Plenty, Victoria.

Bessie had been placed with the Pritchard family to finish her final year of Secondary schooling. When they discovered that she had a younger brother, they asked that he be placed with them. So on Thursday, 8th September, 1966, arriving on flight 519 TAA at 6.15 p.m. escorted by Rev.Pedrick, Jungala arrived in Melbourne at Essendon Airport. The Pritchard family, Graham and Glynn worked normal jobs as a school teacher and nurse. They also raised four of their own children, and as they struggled to maintain a normal lifestyle to support the eight members of the family. Graham and Glynn found themselves taking on second, third and fourth jobs as well as being involved in social committees such as N.A.D.O.C. and the push for the 1967 Referendum to include Aboriginal people in the National Censors. Basically to include them as Australian citizens.

Graham was on the N.A.D.O.C. Committee as the Secretary for 20 years.

Jungala never called the Pritchards Mum or Dad as they told him that his family lived in the bush in Central Australia. So they became Uncle and Aunty.

Jungala still has a relationship with his foster family in Melbourne and they have been included into the Aboriginal family.

Aboriginal people say that if you grow someone up you then become part of 'family'.

Jungala's early schooling began at Lower Plenty Primary School then onto Secondary Schooling in Ballarat, Victoria at Ballarat and Clarendon College as a boarder.

JUNGALA RETURNS TO ALICE

After finishing school, Jungala returned to Alice Springs in 1980.

While playing Australian Rules football, Jungala was unaware that his bush family were watching him play. After the game, a strong lean Aboriginal man with a cowboy hat on and the look of a cowboy approached Jungala and said "I'm your cousin Stephen, would you like to meet your mother?".

Not knowing who he was, Jungala said "yes" and jumped in his Toyota and went to one of the town camps known as 'Trucking Yards'.

As Stephen walked into the room, Stephen spoke in language to Ada Napangardi. Ada was lying in bed as she was sick and had been brought in from the bush to be taken to hospital (she was a diabetic) in Alice Springs.

As Jungala entered the room he saw his mother lying on a bed with her head facing the door, so she had to lift her head then turn and look towards the door to see him. As she lifted her head, a smile flashed onto her face and a tear ran down her cheek and as Jungala looked at Ada he knew "This is my mother"!

He said "Hello Mum". This was the first time in 15 years he had uttered the word Mum. Jungala's mother then said "You are Jungala". Jungala had been re-united with his family again and the journey of learning began.