Kumalie Kngwarraye an Arrernte woman from Alice Springs who has affiliations to the land and spiritual connections with the Arrernte country, through her grandmother, and is passionate about teaching her culture and language.

Kumalie’s journey began at Undoolya Station near Mparntwe, Alice Springs, where she was raised on the station by family who worked as Stockmen and domestic helpers for the Station family.

As a young child she was taken from her family and taken to Santa Teresa and put in a girls dormitory for education at the mission.

She experienced severe homesickness, often hiding away in transport vehicles taking stockmen to work at Undoolya in an attempt to see family. It was a challenging time for Kumalie as she navigated the indoctrination of the Catholic faith that was taught at the mission with her cultural identity and strong relationship to Arrernte values. Despite these challenges, Kumalie pursued further secondary education in Melbourne, returning to Central Australia for holidays.

After schooling, Kumalie returned to Alice Springs and would go with the hospital Sister to train as a Nurses Aid at the hospital. She gained hospital working experience and trained with two senior nurses. This inspired Kumalie to go and study Midwifery in Melbourne, returning to assist with maternity care in Alice Springs in the Child Health Unit and Maternity Ward, supporting mothers before and after childbirth.

Kumalie was also keen softballer during her time in Alice Springs, playing for the Ltyentye Apurte Softball team.

Expanding her horizons, Kumalie pursued higher education in Perth, leading her into the field of administration and training as a secretary.

Upon returning to Alice Springs in the 80’s, Kumalie became a teacher assistant, sharing her cultural knowledge and language skills. She trained through Batchelor Institute to become a teacher and worked with various organisations to develop and deliver two-way learning programs.

Kumalie ventured into media to promote and preserve the Arrernte language. Hosting programs of CAAMA radio with audiences across Australia and the world.

Kumalie’s career in education and media has been marked by significant contributions to cultural preservation and education, from grassroots storytelling to formal teaching and cultural programming.

Today, Kumalie is a respected leader in her community, passionate about Aboriginal self-determination and cultural education. She actively engages in delivering cultural services, including cultural orientation and tourism tours, driven by a mission to empower future generations of Arrernte people and celebrate their unique heritage with wider audiences.