Participation in the Ranger Program is ‘whole of community’; any interested member of the local Aboriginal community is encouraged to participate in the Programs activities. There is no screening of participants, and the only pre-requisites are a desire to manage heritage and environmental assets, proactive group participation, capacity development and shared collective vision for community development. However, the Walkatjurra does not permit the usage of illegal substances, or the consumption of alcohol within any of it’s activities.
The program has been designed to be inclusive of both genders and a wide range of age groups. In fact, many past Ranger activities have seen participation from youth as young as 4 years old, to elders of over 65 years old. Due to the sensitive nature of Aboriginal heritage work, it is imperative to the success of the Program that a balance of gender participation is achieved. It is recognized internationally that the use of gender consultants in qualitative social research can improve research quality. Walkatjurra applies this principle in practice; women’s heritage sites should be managed by women, and men’s sites by men. Equally, traditional law can influence site access and management, thus participant age can influence site interaction and associated Program outcomes. Incorporating this ‘cultural interface’ into the Programs structure is a noted imperative.
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