"We set the rules and law for ALPA and we can work together - Balanda and Yolŋu - to make a good organisation."

David Djalangi is from Galiwin’ku/Elcho Island and is an integral part of ALPA Board Meetings, where he provides cultural advice and historical context to the Board of Directors. He joined ALPA in the 1980s as a retail worker and continues to work at the store as our courtesy bus driver.

You can read his story here:

"In 1983 my wife got a job at Kormilda College in Darwin so we moved to Darwin and  I then got a job with the Uniting Church in Darwin as a community worker. 

I began at ALPA in 1987 in Darwin and I was helping with non-indigenous cross cultural communication and training. I would visit lots of the remote stores and help train the Balanda (non-indigenous) staff to make sure they were working well with Yolŋu. I would go to lots of communities, including Balgo Hills, Nukanbarr and Beagle Bay, to help to run shops out there. 

I like working for ALPA because I have lots of friends at ALPA but more importantly, I like working at ALPA because it’s a Yolŋu-led organisation. It is important that Yolŋu make the decisions.

I think ALPA is good organisation because we sort out challenges ourselves. We fund our own funerals and help all families. We have a youth service and help our young people with education and we help Yolŋu to be strong and equal. ALPA helps by creating new jobs and opportunities for Yolŋu to run their own businesses.".