Feature Image: Monica Njamme, Kathryn Njamme, Judy Gill, Cindy Gibson, Maxine Gill, Mary Njamme by Camera Story
First Nations women are the custodians of culture, language, and tradition. In Balgo, the women of the Piriwa Enterprise Hub embody this responsibility, demonstrating remarkable strength and grace in the face of hardship, loss, and grief.
With a focus on supporting female entrepreneurship in Balgo, the Piriwa Enterprise Hub helps women see self-employment as a viable and achievable option. By combining cultural knowledge with business skills, Piriwa enables women to turn ideas into income while strengthening the resilience of their community.
Piriwa’s latest initiative, made possible by Mary Ward International, brought the women from Balgo to the Kimberley Aboriginal Fashion and Textile Art (KAFTA) event in Broome. This was the first time Piriwa participated in the annual gathering, which showcases Indigenous fashion, textiles, and art from across the Kimberley region.
KAFTA gave the Piriwa women a platform to share their stories, present their designs, and create a space where culture, creativity, and connection could flourish, despite the challenges often faced by First Nations women.
“KAFTA was a lovely day for our families, and it was the first time we had gone; we are so proud for doing this fashion event.” Monica Njamme
Nadine Miller added, “Everybody was so proud seeing us on social media, it was really good and exciting, and we were so proud of our ladies walking the catwalk and seeing all the Indigenous fashion. Everybody was so excited telling us that ‘it was amazing what you did that modelling’. Some people were crying with happiness.”
“We hope some young women and men join us next time for KAFTA.”
This project was a collaborative effort involving artists from the Piriwa Enterprise Hub, mentored by Bianca Long from Jaru Girl, with partners Camera Story and Enterprise Partnerships WA. Bianca worked closely with the women, offering guidance on design, upcycling techniques, and runway presentation. For these remotely based entrepreneurs, KAFTA was a rare opportunity to share stories and take centre stage. Family and supporters from Balgo joined the celebration virtually, live-streaming the catwalk on TikTok and bringing the excitement home to the community.
Kukatja and Ngardi woman and Piriwa co-leader, Kathryn Njamme, explained the inspiration: “The designs are created on upcycled garments and represent bushtucker, flowers and animals from the desert. We named it Piriwa after the flowers that we used to collect, they’ve got honey. As a kid, we used to eat them, suck on the flowers with honey in it, and it’s very sweet,” she said.
Beyond the art and fashion, this project reflects the determination of remote First Nations women to maintain their language and traditions amid social, economic, and emotional challenges. The act of coming together to create, mentor, and share knowledge is a powerful form of cultural preservation and healing.
Image: Kathryn Njamme by Camera Story
Bianca Long’s mentorship nurtured the skills and confidence of these emerging artists while encouraging cultural knowledge-sharing. The pride and wellbeing generated by these opportunities extend far beyond the event, reinforcing identity within families and communities.
The Piriwa women’s participation at KAFTA stands as a testament to how culture, creativity, and collaboration offer meaningful pathways for remote First Nations women to preserve their language and traditions.
Bianca Long is reshaping what leadership looks like in remote Australia. Through her business Jaru Girl, she mentors the women of Piriwa in leadership, enterprise, and cultural business development, playing a key role in their remarkable success at KAFTA.
In August, with support from the Mary Ward International Women’s Leadership Fund, Bianca took her own vision to the national stage at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF), showcasing her new fashion and textile line, The Milky Water Collection.
Each year, DAAF brings together dozens of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and connects them with international audiences. The opportunity allowed Bianca to broaden her connections with industry leaders, galleries, and buyers, while shining a spotlight on the extraordinary talent of remote First Nations women.
Her success at DAAF drew strong interest and, most significantly, has resulted in Bianca being invited to present The Milky Water Collection at the 2025 ganbu marra Runway event at Melbourne Fashion Week this October.
It is our hope that this exposure will amplify Bianca’s leadership profile and inspire other First Nations women to combine cultural knowledge with business skills, grow their economic participation, and create benefits that extend far beyond Bianca herself.
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