Daisy Tjupamtarri Ward is a multi-lingual Yarnangu woman and Senior Elder from the Central Desert region. She works as a Senior Community Liaison person for the Ngaanyatjarra Lands School in Warakurna and is also an accomplished artist. Daisy works closely with the school staff to support building strong two-way practices around school-community interactions, classroom teaching and curriculum development. As a well-respected Elder across the Ngaanyatjarra communities Daisy is keen to share her deep cultural understandings and knowledge with students and adults alike in order to enrich the two-way approach to education she values so highly. She has taken the Reading Tracks team out hunting on several occasions and shared her wealth of cultural knowledge with Margaret over many years. Margaret James, MEd, grew up in multilingual rural South Africa with Indigenous languages surrounding her. This significantly influenced her choice of tertiary studies - among these were linguistics, languages, education, Teaching English as an Additional Language, choral conducting and voice. This background was to prove invaluable when, after a fulfilling and varied career in several countries, she moved into Indigenous Education in Australia. Here her concern grew about the paucity of early reading material for young speakers of traditional Aboriginal languages and Aboriginal English, so she decided to do something about it. Her response was the development of the innovative and highly successful Honey Ant Readers, in seven Aboriginal languages as well as English, for which she has received numerous awards and accolades. While visiting schools and communities in order to deliver Professional Development for the Honey Ant Readers, Margaret became increasingly aware of the similar need for engaging, early-reading material for older learners as well. She worked closely with Elders, students and illustrators to develop linguistically and culturally appropriate learn-to-read story books for older readers. This included trips to the desert and the coast with Elders and children who shared their knowledge about tracking, hunting and fishing for food. Reading Tracks® – stories about hunting, tracking and fishing – is the result! Like many of the Elders with whom she works, Margaret is a mother and grandmother. When not developing literacy resources or going out bush with Elders and children, Margaret enjoys kayaking, walking, reading, singing, travelling and time with her family and friends.Jesse Tipiloura Young is a Tiwi man and father of three young children. Born in Darwin, he spent his early childhood growing up in Gunbalanya – a remote Aboriginal community in West Arnhem Land. He was captured by art at an early age. His father, Ray – an artist and master silk-screen printer - worked at Injalak Arts where Jesse and his four siblings would often observe and play, under the watchful eye of their mother, Michelle. The family then made the move to Tenterfield, a small town in regional New South Wales where Jesse completed primary school.This upbringing brought vastly different experiences for Jesse. Not only was he adapting to the challenges of new environmental a nd social surroundings - but to educational ones as well. Jesse had art as an escape and persevered through school. His persistence paid off during his high school years when he returned to Darwin as a boarder at St John’s College in 2000. Once he’d graduated in 2004 Jesse went on to be a plumber for eight years, then his knack for using his hands later turned to drawing. Throughout this time he also mentored young apprentices. Much like his schooling journey, his career took a different direction and he began working in his old high school, assisting young Indigenous students with their education, all the while carrying his love for art with him. After the birth of his first daughter he became inspired to illustrate storybooks. His unique upbringing and his family continue to be ongoing sources of inspiration for Jesse. He was honoured to have been shortlisted for the Magabala Books’ Kestin Indigenous Illustrator Award. This is his first published book.
