In the remote community of Yuendumu, where 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker was shot by a police officer three years ago, a youth worker says there are several young people facing "many of the difficulties" Mr Walker did before his death.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains an image of a person who has died, used with the permission of their family.
Brooke Shanks, the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC) youth development manager, told the coroner investigating Mr Walker's death that the kids were "heading [down] the same path".
"Do you think that in light of the death, committal, the trial, all of the media attention as a result of this inquest, there has been a concerted effort by government to intervene in their lives and ensure that things change?" Patrick Coleridge, counsel assisting the coroner, asked.
"No," Ms Shanks said.
She agreed with Mr Coleridge there was a risk that if things didn't change "what happened on November 9 might happen again".
Mr Walker died after he was shot three times by Constable Zachary Rolfe on November 9, 2019.
Constable Rolfe, who has been acquitted of all charges related to the death, fired his weapon during an attempt to arrest Mr Walker for breaching a court order and assaulting police.
The coroner has previously heard Mr Walker struggled with a series of health issues, had disengaged from the education system, and had a long criminal history.
Ms Shanks, who has lived in Yuendumu for seven years, told the court one of the children she had identified with similar struggles "had a very close relationship" with the 19-year-old before he died.
Funding for services an issue
The coroner heard WYDAC oversaw youth development programs across Warlpiri communities in the central desert region, including Yuendumu, Lajamanu, Nyirripi and Willowra.
In Yuendumu, Ms Shanks said between 50 and 120 children accessed evening programs, which run Tuesday to Saturday to "steer young people away from antisocial behaviour".
"One of the biggest reasons to give them fun activities during the night time [is] to try and decrease the break-ins and decrease that antisocial behaviour with substance abuse, whether it be ganja smoking or alcohol or anything like that," Ms Shanks said.
But the coroner heard funding issues limited the organisation's ability to provide some of the key services needed by younger children in the community.
"If we've got a young person that is engaged with antisocial behaviour … by the time they reach 15 or 16, it's really hard to move them from that sort of behaviour into another sort of positive, engaging activity without the juvenile justice system being involved," Ms Shanks said.
The coroner also heard attracting qualified staff to the community was difficult due to negative media about Yuendumu, with candidates often withdrawing their applications after being offered a position.
"We're finding less and less qualified people to fill those positions … then you start to settle with less qualified people. Which in result, doesn't give you the outcomes that the community need because they're not qualified for those positions," Ms Shanks said.
"The portrayal of Yuendumu gets really negative, whereas in reality, it's quite positive.
"And there is lots of positive things happening [such as] young people gaining employment."
The night of the shooting
Ms Shanks, whose partner is a Warlpiri man related to Kumanjayi Walker, was visibly emotional as she described the night of the shooting.
She told the coroner she used an internet flight tracker to find a plane that had left Alice Springs for Yuendumu, which the community believed at the time was to take Kumanjayi Walker to hospital.
The coroner has heard the plane brought additional police to Yuendumu and took Constable Rolfe out.
"We decided … that I would ring directly to Alice Springs Hospital. Because I was white, so I might have been able to get more answers," Ms Shanks said.
"I spoke to a nurse … and I asked her how Kumanjayi Walker was … and she just replied that they're working on him … it just gave us that little bit of hope that he reached Alice Springs."
Lawyer for the NT Health department, Casimir Zichy-Woinarski, suggested it would have been a breach of privacy for nurses to discuss the treatment of a patient and that staff did not tell Ms Shanks they were "working on" Kumanjayi that night.
Ms Shanks accepted her memory of the night was unlikely to be completely reliable but denied the suggestion.
The coroner has previously heard Mr Walker died at the Yuendumu police station about an hour after he was shot and was not flown to hospital that night.
Different treatment for white people
Ms Shanks also told the coroner she had seen Yapa — Warlpiri people — treated differently to Kardiya — white people — by various service providers.
"[In Alice Springs] alcohol is a prime example. I remember when I was 38 weeks pregnant … I was in the car with my partner who is Aboriginal himself. His licence said Yuendumu. My licence said Willowra. He was refused alcohol without an invitation to the gathering that we were going to … with the address that we were going to," Ms Shanks said.
"Max was denied alcohol because his licence said Yuendumu … I was given a 10-pack of Jack Daniels, 38 weeks pregnant and [with] a licence that said Willowra."
The inquest will continue on Wednesday, before adjourning until 2023.
