The FATSIL NEWSLETTER JUNE, 2000
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER CORPORATION OF LANGUAGES
VOLUME 15
Llakardi thawarla ini Your Majesty
Administrator of the Muda Aboriginal Language Centre Greg McKellar and his wife Francis welcomed Queen Elizabeth as she prepares to tour the premises of the Aboriginal Corporation, during a visit to the NSW town of Bourke in March.
THERE ARE lots of you around Australia who would love the chance to attend a national conference on indigenous languages, but for a number of reasons, never have the opportunity to go.
This August the FATSIL AGM and language forum in Adelaide will hopefully see people gathered from around Australia, but even more importantly, it will give a voice to the many people who'd love to be there but can't.
Jean McKenzie, Merle Forrest and Ron Harrington and Dagmar Dixon
ONE of the recent projects undertaken by Wangkanyi Ngurra Tjurta Aboriginal Language Centre in Kalgoorlie, W.A. is certain to support their aim to break down communication barriers within the Goldfields community. The Centre has offered a course in translation and interpretation which has been taken up by eight students this year.
Language centre coordinator Sharon Hume, says the course instructing in Wongatha and Ngaanyatjarra, is designed to help people communicate in a broad range of areas, including the justice, medical, education and welfare fields.The course has been funded by the Ministry of Justice.
Photo: Jean McKenzie, Merle Forrest and Ron Harrington studied for accreditation as translators and interpreters with Dagmar Dixon from Perth Central TAFE
THE Northern Territory Government has recently announced the allocation of almost $1 million in the 2000-1 Territory Budget, for the provision of interpreters in Aboriginal languages. Announcing the changes, Northern Territory Chief Minister, Denis Burke said that agencies involved in the 'essential services' areas of the legal and medical sphere have been allocated a recurrent budget for the purpose of paying interpreters. The funding is additional to the money already expended for the interpreter training programs run by institutions such as Bachelor College and the Institute for Aboriginal Development.
"Many non-indigenous Australians are under the belief that our city cousins have been dsposessed of their traditional heritage, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. The Treasures & Wisdom Coherence wishes to pose this question. 'What if Captain Cook had landed in the centre of Australia? Would this mean that we would be living under the same circumstances as today? Would indigenous people from the East Coast of Australia be considered to be living in a traditional lifestyle in comparison to that of indigenous people living in the centre of Australia who would be considered urban?"
The attention of world media was focused on the staff and children involved in the Yandruwandha Language Program, when Queen Elizabeth included a visit to the Muda Aboriginal Corporation in Bourke on the itinerary of her recent Australian tour.
During a three hour stopover in the small outback town in northwest New South Wales, the royal party visited the Bourke Primary School and Muda Aboriginal Corporation at Radio Station 2CUZFM, before moving to Central Park, where Queen Elizabeth made a speech to the townspeople. ln her speech the Queen commented on the cultural displays that had been arranged for her by the community.
"I was interested to learn that the rich aspects of Aboriginal Culture are present in all schools programs. I have seen for myself the Aboriginal Language Class being conducted in the gardens of the radio station."
The children from the Bourke Preschool had been taken over to the grounds of the radio station, where their teachers took them through their regular Yandruwandha language class for the visitors. Queen Elizabeth listened to the preschoolers singing and joined in as the little ones counted out numbers on their fingers.
"It is only recently that the Bunuba language has been written down, and this is the first major publication of Bunuba stories."
June Oscar Bunuba Woman, Executive Member KLRC
Bunuba country extends from the township of Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north along the Fitzroy River to Jijidju (Dimond Gorge), and follows Miluwindi (King Leopold Ranges) to Napier Range in the west. It includes Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) and Tunnel Creek national parks. The southern extreme extends from Malarabah (Erskine Range) to Dawadiya (Trig Hill) near Fitzroy Crossing, and includes Danggu (Geikie Gorge National Park).
FATSIL administration has set up a national data base to log details of language projects funded through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Language Initiatives and the Language Access Initiatives Programs. The information recorded will provide a valuable recording base from which a comprehensive report on language activities around Australia can be developed.
WITH FATSIL working well to achieve goals set at last year's Annual General Meeting in Perth, there's anticipation of an even more dynamic conference in Adelaide from the 25th to the 28th August. Following on from the AGM, FATSIL will host a two day language forum, `Inbarendi Wadu' - Meeting together (Kaurna). This will run on the 27" and 28th and will be open to all who wish to attend.
ATSIC has begun a restructuring of its operations, which will see the administration of major national programs shifted from Canberra to offices within the State and Territory Capitals.
Referred to as the Regionalisation of National Programs, the new initiative may see the separation of Language from the Broadcasting section, and relocation of its administration outside Canberra.
From Denise Karpany
Project Office/Field Worker
South Australian FATSIL Delegate
ON Friday the 26th May 2000, the Governor of South Australia, His Excellency Sir Eric Neal AC CVO and Lady Neal made a special visit to YaityaWarraWodli Language Centre Incorporated. The Honourable Dorothy Kotz, minister for Aboriginal Affairs, also attended the ceremony.This visit was organised as part of the celebrations for Reconciliation Week where a handing over ceremony of Language Sticks took place. Geoff Roberts arranged with artist Frank Jungulya Laughton to make the Language Sticks for the first National Sorry Day. Frank is a Daly River man, part of the Stolen Generation who grew up in Tasmania, and now lives in Port Lincoln.There are about 55 Language Sticks in all, which have been on display in South Australia's Parliament House since 1998.
Corey Walker introduces Kinta, an extremely cooechidna, as the main character in a new language book with illustrations by Annie Lambert.
A family of lively and loveable cartoon characters will soon be at work for the language project team in South East Queensland's Language Region I, with the publication of a new workbook designed to capture the imagination of primary school children.The book is the brainchild of language worker, Corey Walker, who worked closely with talented illustrator Annie Lambert on the development of the characters.
Corey devised the world of engaging animals as the basis for a series of books, to educate students in language words. The text will be structured to allow readers to research and insert the appropriate words from their own language, or to enjoy the books with the selected text written in Kullilli.
Corey has had wide employment experience before undertaking a Degree in Education with Deakin University in Geelong. He now finds himself drawn to the creative development of effective educational resources.
