It's important to spell out the acronym of AIATSIS especially in John Paul's case because he's of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander decent.
For such a youthful looking man he's packed a lot in; a really interesting career, a passion for soccer and the massive job of raising four young sons.
"Four kids, yes it keeps us on our toes. Four boys: 9, 7, 5 and 2 years coming up. I've got part of a basket ball team, a lot of people tell me to follow in the steps of Patrick Mills," he told Alex Sloan on 666 ABC Canberra when he joined her on Canberra Close Up, a regular Afternoons' segment that is an opportunity for a longer conversation with a Canberran.
"I'm a soccer fanatic and once every four years I spoil myself to late nights and early mornings and I'm operating on about three to four hours of sleep in the last couple of weeks but this one's been one of the best world cups I've ever seen."
And which team is John supporting during this world cup?
"Well I was really hoping for an Aussie miracle and was hoping that the Aussies would get through to the 16 but I've seen the Dutch get through to the last final and always through the last hurdle but I'm hoping they can do it this year," he told Alex.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage
John Paul can claim both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, and he told Alex that it's not that unusual for a boy from north Queensland.
"That's probably quiet a norm given the melting pot of cultures up there, and my origins are back in the Torres Strait from Murray Island and Cape York so it's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander from both sides.
"And, you know, in that mix as well we have Indonesian, Filipino and Malaysians so to me it's reflective of what Torres Straits and top end of Australia was over the last couple of hundred years; many cultures coming for economic prosperity, the pearling industry, but also to create a new home so we celebrate all our lineages of heritage in my family."
Calling Home
The notion of home comes in two shades for John Paul; having grown up in Cairns the connection to north Queensland is strong, but so too are his ties to the national capital where he's lived most of his life.
"I've grown up in Canberra. My family moved to Canberra what I was 5 years old in the early 1970s. I always consider Cairns my home, I go back once a year and every time I step off the plane it just feels like home and I don't know if it's the humidity or the temperature or the sea air. It just feels like spiritual home. Being there for a couple of years after I was born, it's still the place I go to, to be at ease and to find some peace of mind," John Paul told Alex.
"But coming to Canberra, it's home now, I've raised a family here and kids going to school here, but growing up in Cairns in the 70s was a completely different place to what it is now. We left when Cairns was a country town, the biggest building was the Cairns Base Hospital, about five stories high, where I was born in and my sisters were born in and my mum use to be a nurse at the base hospital so going back there now you see the changes, it's such a beautiful centre.
"I've had the opportunity to go back to the Torres Strait, and that feels the same way. I don't know whether it's sort of feeling your ancestors or the spirits but going back there and being on the Island is sort of very calming to me.
"And I get to meet a lot of people who know my Torres Strait Islander heritage and say you're my uncle or you're my nephew or you're this type of relation to me that sort of spiritually grounds me to both Cannes and the Torres Strait.
"Both are such beautiful places. Canberra, too, is such a wonderful city. I've been running a lot [over] the past couple of months just to keep fit but I run at night and I've been running at the lake for the last week and it's been minus 2, but it's just so beautiful. It's still, it's cold but your running past these national institutions. Some are lit up, some are in beautiful colors, the lake itself is beautiful. And you actually have to stop and think that Canberra is such a beautiful city."
The Long walk to Canberra
Being the media adviser for Michael Long's historic trek from Melbourne to Canberra left an impact on John Paul.
Michael's Long Walk became a mission of hope. The troupe started walking out of frustration and pain but as they walked they began to understand that Australians from all walks of life had been looking for a way to express their support for Aboriginal culture for a long time.
"It was a role that I was thrown into. In 2004 Michael sort of set of from Melbourne to Canberra and he was frustrated by the Indigenous affairs disappearing from the national agenda and he basically just said that I am going to walk to Canberra and he just got off and walked," John Paul explained.
"He had no support crew, no one walking with him and they sort of had to rush to get behind him. I was asked to join the party when they hit the New South Wales border so I went down to the border and joined the group.
"So as well as helping him out we also started to walk, such a beautiful person Michael Long is, but this journey for him for such a personal journey, that we all got roped up in it.
"It was one of the most fascinating things I have ever worked on and one of the busiest things I have ever worked on. As each day passed and the walk continued the media interest became phenomenal. It went from small issue in the national nightly news to leading bulletins. We had Time magazine calling us from overseas and all this foreign press ringing about it, so it grew this momentum.
"What I saw was his determination and the willingness of Australians to support what he was doing. And I remember going through towns and all the school children were out on the streets with banners and signs and streamers. And local office workers had made sandwiches or put on a barbeque for the touring party so it became sort of the people's movement.
"And when you're walking 20 - 30 kilometres a day, and it was in summers so it was hot. And every night we would look at Michael's feet and there were blisters upon blisters and he was in pain, but this encouragement by fellow Australians to sort of support what he did, encouraged the whole group to walk on."
John Paul Janke has been a very busy man arranging this year's NAIDOC on the Peninsula celebrations and so will 666 ABC Canberra, broadcasting live as part of this year's free community event for NAIDOC week.
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