The importance of Country at Purple House

Purple House is an Aboriginal-owned and run health service in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. They operate remote dialysis clinics in more than 15 communities across the Northern Territory, as well as a mobile dialysis unit called the Purple Truck. Purple House was established in response to challenges faced by Pintupi people, who were often forced to leave their Country for Alice Springs or Darwin to get treatment for end-stage renal failure.

“Up where we live, Aboriginal people have a strong connection to a particular piece of land. It’s absolutely vital that people who have cultural knowledge of that land have an opportunity to pass it on to their kids and their grandkids. The only way to do that is to be ‘on country’ and with the right people at the right time. That cultural knowledge can’t be passed on unless you are physically in that spot.”
– Sarah Brown, Purple House CEO.

Ngurra (On Country) is a core strategic goal central to Purple House’s governance. They recognise that those who receive their services must be able to be on and return to Country to keep their culture and communities strong.