The FATSIL NEWSLETTER MARCH, 2000
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER CORPORATION OF LANGUAGES
VOLUME 14
The kapi pulka, (big rain) fills the waterholes at Uluru. Children from Areyonga in the Northen Territory, have come 300km for the 'whole school' camp as part of their language and culture program, "Utulu Kutjungku Nintini". (Teaching in one group).
I WAS at the opening of an exhibition last month that was a great example of community based language work hitting the right marks. The Gunggari Language Exhibition -`Munmurra Bar-roo' from the Central western Queensland town of Mitchell, originated from work that first began around twenty years ago. That was when Aboriginal people from the town started to go into the local schools to teach their culture and language to the children.
Mitchell is a town with a past history of segregation and discrimination to match any in Australia. But Gunggari people in the town, including Irene Ryder, who was a major contributor to the exhibition, long ago took up an attitude of quiet but unshakable determination, that her people and their culture weren't going to be overlooked in their own country.
PLANS are underway to combine this year's FATSIL AGM with a two-day workshop run by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). The meeting, to be held in Adelaide in late August, will provide the opportunity for language workers from around the country to explore issues already known to be of common concern.
Group photo of Arabana language revival project participants
A South Australian project aimed at supplementing current language resources, will see two new Aboriginal Language text books in use in schools in that State later this year.
Project Officers from the Department of Education, Training and Employment worked with Arabana and Adnyamathanha people to record language as accurately as possible, for use in primary school class rooms. The texts produced cover the basics of both of these languages.
Ricky Guivarra from North Queensland at the February FATSIL Committee meeting in Canberra
FATSIL Governing Committee will have their heads buried in paperwork at the upcoming Canberra meeting, as they work through the initial draft of the corporation's Strategic Plan and Policy document. Consultant Kim Orchard has begun work on the documents under direction of the committee, and hopes to have the final draft ready for presentation at the FATSIL AGM in Adelaide, in late August.
Junior boys doing Inma (emu dance), part of the weekly classes taken by the Elders.
Members of the school community at Areyonga, (Utju) west of Alice Springs, see themselves as kicking goals in the bilingual education program.
Utju is the most northern Pitjantjatjara community in Australia. The name, meaning "narrow place" well suits the valley surrounded by the southern peaks of the MacDonnell Ranges. Members of the school community at Areyonga, (Utju) west of Alice Springs, see themselves as kicking goals in the bilingual education program, with students aged from 4 to 19 years following through a three phase education model.
"We've got a new understanding of history and culture of Aboriginal people as we looked into the way languages function"
A key objective of the Broome campus of the University of Notre Dame Australia is to provide strong support for the process of reconciliation. To that end, many units are offered that focus on Aboriginal Studies. One of these is the unit 'Foundation to Australian Indigenous Languages.'
THE following information is a quick guide to help State/Regional Aboriginal Language Centres and Regional Aboriginal Language Management Committees understand the new output funding arrangements currently being implemented in all ATSIC programs, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages Initiatives Program (ATSILIP) and the Language Access Initiatives Program (LAIP).
Photo: There was a strong ATSIC representation at the February FATSIL Governing Committee meeting in Canberra. With Denise Karpany, FATSIL Vice Chairperson, in the back row were John Tatten, ATSIC Senior Project Officer QId. and Marlene Luck, Assistant Project Officer - Broadcasting, Language, Arts and Culture. In the front row; ATSIC Commissioner Patricia Thompson, Qld, Gary Fisk, Acting Manager, BLAC, and Angela King, Senior Project Officer, BLAC in Canberra.
This is the second in a series of extracts from the draft of "A Community Guide for the Recovery, Research and Development of Queensland's Indigenous Languages."
Dr Eve Fesl
Some memories may be fading fast, and when they leave us, their knowledge will be lost forever. It is important for you to persuade those who are fortunate enough to have knowledge of your language, to pass it on.
THE council of the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies has agreed to make funds available for limited support to attend major international conferences held outside Australia.
Support will take the form of a subsidy towards conference attendance, not funding in full, with the amount of subsidy to be determined on merit. Support will be restricted to individuals.
Submissions for the AIATSIS research grants program for 2001-2002 will close on 31 January 2001.
(See contact details in previous article)
Funding for the successful applicants will be available from August 2001.
The Research Grants program funds a wide range of research in areas such as history, (including family and community history) politics and law, public policy, health, education, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology and the arts.
The Institute does not fund:
• Publication or production costs;
• Returning materials to communities or repatriation of material;
• Research for Native Title claims.
The Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Conference will be held in Toronto Canada from May 11 to 14, 2000. The conference, being coordinated by the University of Toronto, will address the common challenges facing indigenous languages around the world. This year's theme- "Language across the Community" will emphasize the many ways in which all community members can become involved in project activities. Elders, community leaders, frontline workers, researchers, administrators, educators, students media specialists and advocates are invited to meet fellow workers, and to take part in workshops, plenary sessions and presentations.
Details can be obtained by faxing to 416 926 4769 or via email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
OVER THE past few months, members of the ATSIC appointed, AIATSIS Study Team have addressed Regional Councils and community groups over the whole of the State to gain a first hand look at the progress being made in language maintenance and promotion. The team members, Dr Jaky Troy,
Dr Michael Walsh and Mr Tony Lonsdale have called dozens of small group meetings to learn about the current status of the language in each area, identify needs and look at projections for the future. The findings of the study will assist the ATSIC. NSW elected arm in strategic planning for future funding of language projects. The Coffs Harbour meeting in late March was well attended. Among those keen to be heard were:
Photo: Lynne Donley, from ATSIC NSW State Office, with Emily Walker from Nambucca Heads.
