Kurlana Tapa-what’s in a name?

Kurlana Tapa is the name of the Youth Detention Centre in South Australia .

Kurlana Tapa means ‘new path’ in the Kaurna language of the Kaurna people who are custodians of the beautiful Adelaide Plains in South Australia.

It is not the name for a Youth Detention Centre. This is not a sign of cultural respect. It is cultural misappropriation.

Imagine if we created a real kurlana tapa for Aboriginal young offenders, based in and with community, a kurlana tapa worthy of its name.