The FATSIL NEWSLETTER MAY, 2004
THE FEDERATION OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER LANGUAGES CORPORATION
VOLUME 27
Wayalak, Wurrung, Ngarnga, the Youth Language and Education Forum drew people from all States and Territories to Melbourne in February.
clockwise from top right:
Daliah Fittler, from the Board of Adult and Community Education NSW, Sharon McMillan, from Katherine, NT, Gubagi Rosie Malgil and Caroline McAdam from Halls Creek in WA and Ken Saunders from Victoria.
A national survey of the state of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages will give communities the chance to inform the Federal Government of current and future needs for language support and preservation.
AIATSIS has commissioned the survey, to be conducted jointly by FATSIL and AIATSIS, (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies), utilising funds from the Endangered Languages Output.
The Victorian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Mr Gavin Jennings with FATSIL Committee members, Barbara McGillivray, Lois Blackman and Sahardi Coding.
FATSIL'S input to the MCEETYA National Review of Languages Education, and ongoing contribution to working party discussions has produced outstanding results, with the release of the MCEETYA National Statement for Languages Education in Australian Schools (2005-2008).
THE Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations has advised that a current revision of the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act I976 will recommend changes to allow the option of companies/organisations becoming members of parent organisations incorporated under this Act.
The inaugural FATSIL Language Achievement award was presented to Geraldine Rose Yamuk' Briggs. Pictured is her daughter MargaretWirrpunda, who accepted the award on her mother's behalf, with daughter Aretha Briggs (right) and Leanne Miller (left).
A record number of people from all states and territories gave an overwhelming endorsement to the success of the FATSIL National Indigenous Languages Forum,Wayalak,Wurrung, Ngarnga Youth, Language and Education in Melbourne in February.
Beverley Gumhole — still speaking Koko-Bera in the Gulf country
The Kokoberrin and their languages
The Kokoberrin are the people of the Inkerman Station area, between and a bit beyond the Nassau and Staaten Rivers, in Western Cape York Peninsula,Qid. Today we are mainly found in Kowanyama and Normanton, but also in some other North Queensland communities. Kokoberrin means - "true language of the land" or Kokoberrin homeland.
In this area of North Queensland, it seems typical for the older people who still speak Aboriginal languages to speak several of them, not just one; multilingualism was the norm, not the exception. Thus too the Kokoberrin have been using several different languages.
In the lead up to the AGM in February, FATSIL held formal elections for the positions on the Governing Committee.
Two delegates were elected for each State and Territory. Here is a short profile of each of the delegates.
Note:The positions of the second delegates for South Australia and Northern Territory are currently being finalised by the Governing Committee.
THE Queensland Government Dept. of Natural Resources and Mines last year produced the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2003 and the Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Bill 2003 with the purpose of protecting the cultural rights of Indigenous Queenslanders.
Cape York Partnerships team leader Noel Pearson, has for a long time been working with his people to find a solution for the education crisis they are experiencing, where the children have increasingly low education outcomes and there is a rapid decline of Aboriginal languages being learnt and spoken.
