‘It was the worst thing I have ever, ever seen’: Arrernte Elder says families caught in violence fear for future generations

Families caught in the midst of the violence and unrest in Alice Springs say they fear for the lives and futures of their children.

In the nearly 40 years Patrick Nandy has lived in the Alice Springs’s town camp of Hidden Valley, he says he has never seen the level of violence that occurred a week and a half ago.

“It was the worst thing I (have) ever, ever seen,” he said.

“They was walking (with) big stakes, axes, and machetes and all that.”

Patrick Nandy and Sarah Mangaraka at the Yipirinya School shares their concerns about the ongoing circumstances in Alice Springs. on March 30, 2024. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Alice Springs Hidden Valley town camp, Friday, February 3, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Last Tuesday afternoon, about 100 people including multiple children under the age of 18 rioted on the streets of Alice Springs, which is said to be in retaliation for a young Aboriginal man who died in a stolen car that crashed on March 8 sparking widespread violence between two groups.

On March 27, the NT government announced a 14-day curfew prohibiting youth aged under 18 from being out of their homes between the hours of 6pm and 6am.

However, a week before the incident in Alice Springs, two groups came head to head rioting with weapons at Hidden Valley Camp, also sparked by the fatal car crash.

When the incident occurred in Hidden Valley, Mr Nandy said the situation got so out of hand that multiple families scrambled to safety, and he protected his wife and 10 grandchildren by locking them inside their home.

“There was a brawl and they was fighting straight across the road from our house,” he said.

“When they ran in (towards each other), everybody started running to their houses and locked themselves in their houses.

“To me, I don’t want my kids and my grandkids to get hurt or get involved.”

The incident, Mr Nandy says has “gone too far” and gotten “way out of hand”, and has called for a stop to the violence between those who are committing it.

Police patrols overnight at the front of Lasseters Hotel Casino in Alice Springs on March 30, 2024. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Having worked in various leadership roles for many years, the Eastern-Arrernte Elder has been trying to deter youth away from a life of crime in many ways.

Mr Nandy has worked for the town Night Patrol, Men’s Safety Group, sits on the board of Yipirinya School and also coaches the B-Grade side for the South Alice Springs Kangaroos.

He says football has been a way to bring the community together, and would be visiting families in the community to encourage youth to join his team.

“I want these young fullas to come train for me. I don’t care if they’re enemies. If they train for me, they might become brothers,” he said.

“Football can become a powerful vehicle and keep these kids out of trouble.”

Mother of three, Daleena Forrester moved out of a town camp just over a year ago and into the CBD, where she said she has struggled to keep her three daughters away from the “wrong crowd”.

(L-R) July Caulton, Jonika Caulton, Deleeda Forrester (mother) and Tyereena Caulton at the Yipirinya School shares their concerns about the ongoing circumstances in Alice Springs. on March 30, 2024. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Ms Forrester works at Yipirinya School as an assistant teacher where she says she hears students talking about what happens on the streets “most nights”.

“It’s just too much. I’m trying and I do want the best for my daughters but it’s hard,” she said.

“I hear kids talking about what’s happening on the streets (and) they’re hanging out on the streets all hours of the night.

“It’s sad, it’s scary (and) it’s making it hard for other people, other Aboriginal (people) and white people too.”

Ms Forrester said there needed to be more programs and safe spaces to keep the kids away from “drugs and alcohol”, which she believed, ultimately led them to youth crime.

“I just want to help the kids and for them to not grow up doing the wrong things,” she said.

“They need education and jobs as they are growing up.”

Originally published as ‘It was the worst thing I have ever, ever seen’: Arrernte Elder says families caught in violence fear for future generations