Australians are living some 20 years less than non-Indigenous Australians. This ‘gap’ in life expectancy is an important and complex Indigenous health issue and can be largely attributed to a long-term of lack of culturally appropriate care (Oxfam Australia , 2016). Andrew Japaljarri Spencer, a respected Indigenous elder of the Warlpiri Western Dessert people (Snowdon, 2016) was influential in the development of "best practice" ethical methodology and strategies for providing culturally appropriate care in Central Australia (SMH, 2016). I have chosen to tell Japaljarri’s story because it clearly shows that consultation and partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, plays an integral role in closing ‘the gap’. Andrew Japaljarri Spencer was born in 1954 at an outstation close to Yuendumu, called 4 Mile. He was a tribal elder of the Warlpiri people and his traditional lands around Mt Wedge, are located west of Alice Springs and north of Papunya. Sadly, he passed away on the 8th of December last year due to a combination of heart and kidney failure (Snowdon, 2016). He was a close cultural relative of my best friend and hope to honour his memory in telling his story.
Japaljarri played a major role in his community. He was a Nangkari, a traditional healer and in order to fully understand and his health journey, I wish to introduce the Wana Jukurrpa - the snake dreaming1. Japaljarri was a custodian of this story, and while I can only give you a small snapshot, the deep significance and meaning to this story belongs to the enduring custodians of this Jukurrpa (Roque C. S., 2014). The snake is a powerful spirit, it travels in the land and in the people, passing through many experiences. He gets wounded and attacked on his travels, but keeps moving, traveling to a waterhole. Deep in the waterhole his power and spirit change. The snake turns into a spirit being with great mapanpa – healing power. He is the spirit support of the Nangkari. During a healing, the Nangkari call on the snake, the pain and suffering of their patient passes through them, into the snake, who then carries it away (Roque C. S., 2014).