About Robert Mills and Batji Tours
I created Batji Enterprises as a way of expressing my culture through music, art and tourism.I was born in Darwin in 1966. I was born Larrakia, Kungarakan, Mayali, Yangman, Jawoyn, Gurrinji (tribal language groups of Northern Australia). As an Aboriginal, I inherit the culture of all four of my grandparents. This determined my 'Pombah' which means track or path that I was to walk in life. You are expected to learn about your grand parents culture to help you make sense of yourself and why you feel and act the way you do.
One of my grandfathers who was a Malak Malak/Kungarakan man who can only be referred to as Ngirawat (name withheld for cultural reasons) had a profound effect on me. I remember he walked from Darwin to Alice Springs and back at least twice during his lifetime. I heard that he had learnt many languages and ceremonies along the way and was held in great esteem by the other Aboriginal groups he interacted with on these journeys.
My grandfather was referred to as a magic or 'clever' man by other Aboriginal people. He taught me the importance of learning about your roots and never forgetting your people's language and culture.
I was born into culture and my responsibilities began when I was eight years old. This meant learning language, songs and stories associated with country as well as the universe.
My youth was a balancing act, growing up in the early days of Darwin and playing a lot of competitive sport such as Australian rules football, rugby league, soccer and boxing. Later I found a talent for basketball which took me to Adelaide for a while, playing for South Adelaide Panthers. Adelaide was a culture shock for an Aboriginal boy from Darwin. I had to learn to how to live in mainstream Australia on my own away from support of family and my culture. I am lucky that I had good literacy and numeracy skills and fared better than many other young Aboriginal athletes of the day in adjusting to this new environment.
Throughout the years I have always needed to return to country and Aboriginal people. I have lived on islands, in the desert, visited mountains, plains country and various sacred landscapes. All the while, meeting and learning the culture and language of these people.In 1995, I decided to go home and focus on maintaining, preserving and promoting my parent's culture. Whilst working in indigenous mental health for Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin, I wrote a book and produced an interactive CD ROM in my mother's language, Kungarkan. I also worked on the first Gurinji dictionary, published by MacQuarrie.
Also in 1995, I was national chair of FATSIL Federation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages (FATSIL) and executive board director of National Language and Literacy Institute of Australia (NLLIA).
I am a claimant of the Kenbi Land Claim and of the Finniss River Land Trust.I am a Traditional Owner of many areas of the northern Top End of the Northern Territory due to my ancestral tribal lineage. and consultantto Northern Land Council, (Aboriginal Area Protection Authority (AAPA) and the Northern Territory Government.Growing up as an Aboriginal child through the 1970s in Australia was not easy. I experienced hardship, discrimination, institutionalisation and religious oppression. I have also experience great kindness and assistance from non Aboriginal people.
Finding a balance in addressing the wrongs done to my people in the past whilst meeting kind people on my journey through life has shaped my philosophy on life. I am willing to forgive, but I cannot forget. I have a responsibility to my ancestors to remember them and to talk about them to my children and other people who have an interest.
All of this learning, my cultural responsibilities and knowledge has led me to create Batji which the Gulu-Mirrigin language of what is now the Darwin area, means 'good' and/or 'hello'.
My people were kind people. I wish to continue this tradition and invite visitors and locals alike to learn more about my people's ways.
Peace, love and understanding for all humankind is what I desire most.
Padj Padj, Janama (Robert) Mills.
One of my grandfathers who was a Malak Malak/Kungarakan man who can only be referred to as Ngirawat (name withheld for cultural reasons) had a profound effect on me. I remember he walked from Darwin to Alice Springs and back at least twice during his lifetime. I heard that he had learnt many languages and ceremonies along the way and was held in great esteem by the other Aboriginal groups he interacted with on these journeys.
My grandfather was referred to as a magic or 'clever' man by other Aboriginal people. He taught me the importance of learning about your roots and never forgetting your people's language and culture.
I was born into culture and my responsibilities began when I was eight years old. This meant learning language, songs and stories associated with country as well as the universe.
My youth was a balancing act, growing up in the early days of Darwin and playing a lot of competitive sport such as Australian rules football, rugby league, soccer and boxing. Later I found a talent for basketball which took me to Adelaide for a while, playing for South Adelaide Panthers. Adelaide was a culture shock for an Aboriginal boy from Darwin. I had to learn to how to live in mainstream Australia on my own away from support of family and my culture. I am lucky that I had good literacy and numeracy skills and fared better than many other young Aboriginal athletes of the day in adjusting to this new environment.
Throughout the years I have always needed to return to country and Aboriginal people. I have lived on islands, in the desert, visited mountains, plains country and various sacred landscapes. All the while, meeting and learning the culture and language of these people.In 1995, I decided to go home and focus on maintaining, preserving and promoting my parent's culture. Whilst working in indigenous mental health for Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin, I wrote a book and produced an interactive CD ROM in my mother's language, Kungarkan. I also worked on the first Gurinji dictionary, published by MacQuarrie.
Also in 1995, I was national chair of FATSIL Federation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages (FATSIL) and executive board director of National Language and Literacy Institute of Australia (NLLIA).
I am a claimant of the Kenbi Land Claim and of the Finniss River Land Trust.I am a Traditional Owner of many areas of the northern Top End of the Northern Territory due to my ancestral tribal lineage. and consultantto Northern Land Council, (Aboriginal Area Protection Authority (AAPA) and the Northern Territory Government.Growing up as an Aboriginal child through the 1970s in Australia was not easy. I experienced hardship, discrimination, institutionalisation and religious oppression. I have also experience great kindness and assistance from non Aboriginal people.
Finding a balance in addressing the wrongs done to my people in the past whilst meeting kind people on my journey through life has shaped my philosophy on life. I am willing to forgive, but I cannot forget. I have a responsibility to my ancestors to remember them and to talk about them to my children and other people who have an interest.
All of this learning, my cultural responsibilities and knowledge has led me to create Batji which the Gulu-Mirrigin language of what is now the Darwin area, means 'good' and/or 'hello'.
My people were kind people. I wish to continue this tradition and invite visitors and locals alike to learn more about my people's ways.
Peace, love and understanding for all humankind is what I desire most.
Padj Padj, Janama (Robert) Mills.
