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Gong for TV series

Headshot of Elise Van Aken
Elise Van AkenThe Kimberley Echo
Camping on Country ambassador and chairman of Bush TV Enterprises Ernie Dingo.
Camera IconCamping on Country ambassador and chairman of Bush TV Enterprises Ernie Dingo. Credit: Supplied

A television series featuring East Kimberley Indigenous men has won a national award for its contribution to men’s health.

Australian film and television personality Ernie Dingo’s television series Camping on Country was announced as the winner of the national Australian Men’s Health Forum Award for best men’s health program last week during men’s health week.

Last year a group of local Indigenous men from Kununurra Waringarri Aboriginal Corporation’s Strong Men, Strong Families program participated in the national Camping on Country program.

Elders, support workers, the Bush TV film crew and Mr Dingo accompanied the men on a camp to workshop strategies to improve outcomes for themselves and their people.

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The men also created video messages which were sent to the Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt, which Mr Dingo the Camping on Country ambassador and chairman of Bush TV Enterprises said he’d show the Federal Government where the funding was helping and identify the areas that need more support.

Mr Dingo said while he’d won a few awards, this one felt special.

SMSF co-ordinator Graham Leadbeatter, Camping on Country ambassador and chairman of Bush TV Enterprises Ernie Dingo, and Strong Men Strong Families participants and support workers on their way to their camp in July 2019.
Camera IconSMSF co-ordinator Graham Leadbeatter, Camping on Country ambassador and chairman of Bush TV Enterprises Ernie Dingo, and Strong Men Strong Families participants and support workers on their way to their camp in July 2019. Credit: Elise Van Aken/The Kimberley Echo

“It’s close to my heart working with countrymen. We like to think of our program as an Aboriginal men’s movement and as we gather momentum this vision is coming to light,” he said.

“Less than two years ago we were cruising around remote communities in my blue truck running voluntary camps with men getting their feedback, and the response we got was phenomenal.”

By the end of this year the crew will have travelled around Australia twice and completed some 15 camps with 300-plus men and 10 communities.

The camps involved hunting, cooking, yarning circles, health checks, cultural activities, counselling and walks to connect men with their country, culture and each other.

“We heal and and we sing and we dance,” Ernie Dingo said.

“We do this to be better men, to be the best versions of ourselves.”

Mr Dingo added he wanted to give thanks to all the “KNX mob” involved in the camps.

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