Doreen Kartinyeri

Doreen "Dodo" Maude Kartinyeri (3 February 1935–2 December 2007) was an Ngarrindjeri elder, historian, and genealogist, who lived in the Australian state of South Australia. In her early years, she was a domestic worker, but became interested in the family history of Aboriginal families on the Yorke Peninsula, starting with her own family. She subsequently researched and published many Aboriginal family histories, and was the founder of the Aboriginal Family History Unit at the South Australian Museum in 1988. She worked at the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, later being awarded an honorary doctorate for her work. She played a key role as an activist for Aboriginal people in the Hindmarsh Island bridge affair in the 1990s.

Early life and education Doreen Kartinyeri was born on 3 February 1935, in the Aboriginal reserve at Point MacLeay (now Raukkan) in South Australia, to parents Thelma (née Rigney) and Oswald (known as Oscar) Kartinyeri. Doreen was the second child. The couple also had six other children: Oscar junior, Nancy, Doris Alma, Ron, Connie, and Doris Eileen. Also living with the family were three cousins, Lila, Thelma, and Elsie, who were regarded as siblings. Oscar junior called Doreen "Dodo" owing to his childhood stutter, and she retained this name as an adult.

Doris was the only sibling with whom Doreen maintained contact later, as Ron was in prison. Kartinyeri said that the conditions of this institution were "military style”, claiming that she was beaten on her first night for swearing. She did not do well in school - she was rebellious, was punished often, performed poorly, often did not do work, and when she did, teachers accused her of cheating. She would get into mischief with the other nunga (Aboriginal) girls, and Kartinyeri claimed that they were often the scapegoats for the white girls (herself especially).

Kartinyeri published several books on the Indigenous people of Point Pearce and Raukkan. This led to her being offered a job by the South Australian Museum, and she started the Aboriginal Family History Unit in 1988.

Kartinyeri also participated in a great deal of other genealogy-related activities. She delivered papers at a number of conferences held by the Conference of Museum Anthropologists and the Anthropological Society of South Australia. She conducted several genealogy workshops with UniSA, the Department of Technical and Further Education, and the Anthropological Society of SA, which were presented in several capital cities of Australia. "for service to the Indigenous community, particularly through the field of genealogy"

Personal life Kartinyeri married and had children with Terry Douglas Wanganeen,

Her work in the Aboriginal Family History Unit in the museum has assisted countless people with discovering their family histories.

Selected works My Ngarrindjeri Calling, Aboriginal Studies Press, 2008

Footnotes