The Waltja Way

Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi Aboriginal Corporation has an innovative governance approach – what they call the ‘Waltja Way’. This means Waltja incorporates local Aboriginal ways of doing business into the organisation’s values, processes and structure. The Waltja Way was created to help new directors, members and staff understand how Waltja works. The Waltja Way also helps explain to partner organisations, government departments and politicians how Waltja operates and why these local ways of working are important.¹Waltja Tjutangku Palyapayi , “Updating The Waltja Way,” May 2024.

“Waltja learns what is happening in the community from the Directors. Directors talk to Exec. Exec talks with workers. Waltja workers are invited by the Directors to come to the community. They stay; they meet the Directors and their families. They make friends. They become family. They listen to all people in the community with the Directors, young and old, men and women. We work together Anangu/Yapa (Aboriginal) with Kardiya (non-Aboriginal), workers with Directors, Waltja with community. It gives Waltja a better understanding of community and what people need, and gives us a strong voice with communities and with government. We make family from far and near. That’s why we called the organisation Waltja – family.”
– Irene Nangala, a Waltja director