Mparntwe Sacred Sites

01/04/2026

Mparntwe Custodians are so grateful to the Alice Springs Landcare team who have worked with us over many years to look after Ankerre Ankerre (Coolibah Swamp).

Ankerre Ankerre and the Coolibah trees are a very significant site in the caterpillar story, where the travelling caterpillars were welcomed into Mparntwe with a great celebration. 🐛🌳👏🏾

It's amazing to see the hard work of dedicated volunteers paying off with the slow and steady removal of buffel grass and rubbish from the site. 🙌🏾

Fairy grasses fluffing up nicely- Ankerre Ankerre (photo D Shee)

09/11/2025

09/11/2025

Thank you to all who attended Stories in Motion at the Alice Springs Desert Park last night! We hope you all enjoyed hearing the stories about Mparntwe custodians involvement in the development of the Desert Park, and the history of John Flynn's Grave.

It was great for the family to spend some time together, and we thank all the volunteers involved for helping make the night another success! 👏🏾🙌🏾

We hope to see you all for the next one 👍🏾

06/11/2025

Don't forget to grab your tickets for Stories in Motion this Saturday night at 6:00pm, there are limited seats available!

We'd love to see you all there.

Mparntwe Custodians are pleased to continue Our Stories in Motion, film, photo and poetry evening at the Alice Springs Desert Park on Saturday, 8 Nov.

Theme: Compromise, Compromise, see the country through our people's eyes.

This evening, hosted by Mparntwe Custodians, gathers films, photos and poetry that speak from Country - stories that rise from the land, the desert, and the heart.

In Mparntwe, where land and story are one, we celebrate voices that move with spirit, memory, and connection.

See the full details and purchase tickets from https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/our-stories-in-motion-poetry-film-tickets-1888304201699?aff=oddtdtcreator

28/10/2025

Mparntwe Custodians are pleased to continue Our Stories in Motion, film, photo and poetry evening at the Alice Springs Desert Park on Saturday, 8 Nov.

Theme: Compromise, Compromise, see the country through our people's eyes.

This evening, hosted by Mparntwe Custodians, gathers films, photos and poetry that speak from Country - stories that rise from the land, the desert, and the heart.

In Mparntwe, where land and story are one, we celebrate voices that move with spirit, memory, and connection.

See the full details and purchase tickets from https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/our-stories-in-motion-poetry-film-tickets-1888304201699?aff=oddtdtcreator

21/10/2025

Did you ever wonder why the cafe at Araluen is called Yaye's Cafe ??? ☕🤔

This week, a work crew from Correctional Services helped with buffel grass management and site clean-up on a hill in the Araluen Arts Centre precinct. The hill is a women’s sacred site associated with the Two Sisters (yayes) story, another significant part of Mparntwe’s cultural landscape.

🙏🏾 We want to acknowledge the respect shown by the Aboriginal men in the work crew, who paused and waited to begin until they were sure that the women had given their permission.

Before the work began, the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) engaged with Mparntwe custodians responsible for the stories and site protection, ensuring they were aware of the activity and invited to be present while the work took place.

👉🏾 The Araluen Arts Centre and custodians have built a mutually respectful relationship over many years in the maintenance of the sites in and around the precinct, and we appreciate that they always make sure that the women are informed when work is taking place.

This is how proper process looks, working together meaningfully, respecting sites and stories, and keeping the sites we have left strong. 🫶🏾🙌🏾💪🏾

19/10/2025

Long before there was a town here, Mparntwe was alive, formed by the travels of powerful ancestral beings. 🌅

From the east came the Caterpillars creating the Eastern range and other hills and landmarks in Mparntwe as they wriggled across the land on their journey, and where they battled with the the Ilperenye (Stinky Beetles)🐛🐛🐛

Then there's the Wild Dog ancestor, Akngwelye, protecting his family and fighting to defend his country from a murderous intruder dog who travelled in from the south. After winning the battle he rest his head and nose forming Alhekulyele (the iconic peak of Mt Gillen), keeping watch over Mparntwe and sniffing the air for more intruders.🐕🐾

To us as custodians they are living stories, still here in the land and in us as the people who care for it. When we look to the east we see the caterpillars and when we look to the west we see Akngwelye protecting us. This is why we fight to protect our sacred sites in Mparntwe, just like our Akngwelye did.

And it's why we ask everyone to walk with us, to listen, and to understand that Mparntwe is not just a town, but a sacred story place where our shared stories should be celebrated. When we look after country, it looks after us. 🫶🏾🙌🏾

Please follow our page to show your support, and hear more of our stories 🙏🏾

18/10/2025

A sad story 😔.... but thanks to House Elf Adventures who does a great service to the community by telling these important historical stories.

17/10/2025

In 1953, a rock was taken without permission from KarluKarlu (the Devils Marbles) and placed on the grave of Reverend John Flynn in Mparntwe to the west of the town.

It remained there for nearly fifty years, until 1999, when the rock was finally returned back to Warumungu country after long conversations between Warumungu and Mparntwe custodians.

For us, as Mparntwe custodians, finding a new rock from our own country to replace it was not easy. The replacement rock was selected by senior custodians in 1998 and removed from a registered site in Mparntwe associated with the Yeperenye story. Our old people spoke of the distress this caused because every rock here has meaning and a place in the world, but they made that sacrifice as a sincere sign of reconciliation, so that the Warumungu rock could be returned to its rightful place

On that day, old people from both countries stood together. They brushed the stones with gum leaves and placed their hands of blessing on the new rock, in an act of deep respect and cultural strength.

That moment represented a healing between Warumungu and Arrernte people, and a reminder that sacred objects must remain connected to their country.

This is what respect looks like - listening to each other, caring for country, and making things right.

15/10/2025

A great collaboration with Uni Melb Engineering Faculty and Alice Springs Landcare back in July, working with custodians on caring for this important site called Ankerre Ankerre, or Coolibah Swamp. 🙌🏿

Like the name suggests, the swamp used to hold water before housing development around the area required a drain to be built through the site, forcing water that would naturally sit in the swamp to drain into Lhere Mparntwe, the Todd River. 🌧🌅

The site is part of the caterpillar story, where the trees danced in celebration of the arrival of the caterpillars travelling through on their journey. Generations of custodians have worked for a long time in restoring the area to protect the dancing coolibah trees, some of which have died because of the lack of water supply on the northern side of the swamp, resulting in stark tree skeletons frozen in time that can be seen when you drive past😢. The area is also inundated with saltbush, buffel grass, other invasive plants and construction rubbish, left on the swamp when Stott Terrace was built through the middle of the swamp. 🌾🗑

Custodians are eternally grateful to Alice Springs Landcare and residents around the swamp who have worked with us over many years, slowly chipping away at the weeds and rubbish and helping us to look after Ankerre Ankerre as we work toward making it a healthy, clean and celebrated natural community space and sacred site. 🫶🏾

15/10/2025

👋🏿 Werte - this page has been created by the Mparntwe custodians. Our purpose is to share our stories, protect our sacred sites, and help the community understand the importance of Mparntwe to us.

As custodians, we hold a responsibility that has been handed down for generations - to care for country and the stories that keep Mparntwe strong.

Through this page, we’ll share stories about sacred sites and the history of our work protecting country, updates on protection and advocacy work, and opportunities for the community to learn, listen, and walk with us to help strengthen our town.

By learning together, and connecting respectfully, we can grow together to keep Mparntwe strong for future generations. 🙌🏾