Nyiyaparli Newman Cup: New netball carnival unites young women from across the Pilbara

A new three-way round-robin netball carnival has made its debut, uniting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island girls and young women from across the Pilbara. The Nyiyaparli Newman Cup took place on September 12 featuring school-aged representatives from Port Hedland, Tom Price and Newman. The carnival is a collaborative initiative led by the Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (KNAC) in partnership with school-based programs Shooting Stars and the Stars Foundation. Shooting Stars participants travelled to Newman for the event, where they connected with local community members and joined forces with Newman-based participants from the Stars Foundation. The collaboration created a meaningful opportunity for young people to come together, connect with peers from across the Pilbara, and deepen their understanding of culture and country on Nyiyaparli land in the East Pilbara. Shooting Stars regional manager Bernadine Kop said the organisation was incredibly proud of its meaningful partnership with KNAC. “This collaboration has provided a great opportunity for Shooting Stars to connect further with the Nyiyaparli community,” Ms Kop said. “Events like these hold great value as we bring young people together to connect with peers from different locations and learn about culture and country.” KNAC chief executive Cate Ballantyne reiterated the importance of the partnership. “This partnership is key to our commitment to our members to provide more opportunities, especially for young people and especially in ways that enhance time on country, cultural knowledge, connection and pride,” Ms Ballantyne said. “Shooting Stars do powerful work empowering Aboriginal girls and women, and together we can create more young Marlpa leaders in the Pilbara.”