HERVEY Bay is poised to pioneer an indigenous education revolution.

Scrub Hill Indigenous Education Forum. Attending: Sandy Strait State School principal Shane Urquhart, Fraser Coast councillor David Dalgleish, Paul Herschell and Will Davis of Qld Studies Authority with Butchulla elder Frances Gala and Butchulla community linguist Joyce Bonner. Photo by Daniel Tweed

A senior officer from the Queensland Studies Authority was told yesterday that the Fraser Coast is ready to trial a ground-breaking new school syllabus which could place the Butchulla language alongside Chinese, Indonesian, German and French as classroom subjects.

Paul Herschell, acting deputy director of the QSA’s teaching and learning division, met with Butchulla elders and education leaders at the Korrawinga Aboriginal Centre in Hervey Bay to present a statewide proposal to formalise the education of indigenous languages.

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At the start of the 2010 school year, the number of hours of bilingual teaching in Northern Territory Two-Way schools is set to decrease by more than half. The public debate that followed the announcement of this policy change revealed a need for further research on the models, achievements and challenges of bilingual education in Indigenous communities.

Find out more about the Symposia

Read the Press Statement: Bilingual education symposium to discuss NT policy

Read the Press Statement: Bilingual the Best way to learn English

National Indigenous Times article on the Symposia

Over 40 delegates attended the Rockhampton Indigenous Languages Expo in Rockhampton,
on the 28th and 29th of April.

The Language Expo was organised by the Dharumbal Language and Culture Program and the State Library of Queensland and included representatives from a number of language communities and language centres in Queensland. It was held at the Dreamtime Centre.

Over the two day Expo, a variety of project teams shared their presentations. These included the Dharumbal Language and Cultural Program, SAIMA Rockhampton, Korrawinga Aboriginal Corporation, Gidarjil Central Queensland Language Centre, Queensland Indigenous Languages Advisory Committee, (QILAC), Jeannie Bell’s presentation on the Austkin Project and training for language teachers through Batchelor College, the Warrgamay Language Program, the State Library Queensland’s Indigenous Languages Project, and the Tuggai College language initiative.

The presentations allowed those people in the Central Queensland region with interest in working on Indigenous languages to network with people from other areas and to appreciate the different methods used in the wide range of language programs being discussed.

This year the forum aims to showcase technology which all has the potential to assist Indigenous Language programs. Technological tools will be explained through demonstrations, presentations and hands-on workshops.

The program should have something for everyone ranging from the use of basic equipment such as audio and video recorders, to computer based programs that support the teaching of languages and the production of resources.

The goal is to create a learning environment that not only exposes language workers to the various tools available to us, but also provides us with skills that will enable us to forge ahead in our language reclamation work.

Presentations are being invited from individuals, community organisations and other agencies. Organiser Daryn McKenny said, “We not only want to see the lastest advancements in using technology as a tool in supporting language activity, but we also strongly hope that participants will be able to learn IT skills, best practise and be exposed more closely to technology practises and benefits.”

Puliima means “Making Voice” , in the Awabakal language, so come along and make sure yours is heard!

Visit the Puliima Website to find out more.

So what is Miromaa?
Miromaa is an easy-to-use software program created by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people to aid in language recording and revitalisation. It is an easy to use, user friendly computer program which helps you gather, organise and analyse data, and create resources from your language research .

To find out more about Miromaa check out their web site.

If you would like to attend a Miromaa training session let us know by leaving a comment on the blog.

If you have attended Miromaa training let others know how it was, whether it is worth while, and/or how you are using the program now by writing a comment on the blog also.

Many of the people who attended have had no previous involvement with the revival and recording of their traditional languages and were keen to hear about established programs operating around the state and in northern New South Wales. Presentations were given by Nalingu Aboriginal Corporation, State Library of Queensland, Yugambeh Museum and the Many Rivers Language Centre from Northern NSW.

From the meeting the South West Queensland Language Group was formed and plans are now under way for follow up meetings in 2009.

WIPC:E is a triennial conference of international significance that attracts peoples from around the globe to celebrate and share diverse cultures, traditions and knowledge with a focus on world Indigenous education.

The purpose of WIPC:E is to provide a forum to come together, share and learn and promote best practice in Indigenous education policies, programs and practice.

To be hosted by the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association on the traditional lands of the Kulin Nation, Melbourne, Australia from 7th-11th December 2008, WIPC:E 2008 will be a celebration of our diverse cultures, traditions and knowledge.

It will provide us with the opportunity to showcase our efforts to provide educational experiences suitable to our individual and unique communities and will be a time to rejoice in our strengths and capacity to uphold our traditions and knowledge systems.

It will also be a chance to consider how we, as Indigenous people, would like to see education shaped into the future to meet our needs.

Find our more…

A public forum on Australian Indigenous languages presented by Big hART and the Ngapartji Ngapartji team.

WHEN: 6-7pm, Wednesday January 30th 2008
WHERE: Belvoir Street Theatre. Belvoir St, Surry Hills, Sydney
HOSTED BY: Prof. Larissa Behrendt – Research Director, Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, UTS

SPEAKERS:
Makinti Minutjukur, Pukatja Community Liaison
Kevin Lowe Inspector, Aboriginal Education, NSW Board of Studies
Daryn Mckenny, General Manager, Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Assn
Jody Bruan Director General, NSW Department of Aboriginal Australia
Alex Kelly Creative Producer, Ngapartji Ngapartji

Before European arrival Australia was home to over 250 distinct languages. Tragically, in the last 218 years Australia has suffered the largest and most rapid loss of languages known worldwide.

NSW is currently the only state in Australia that has developed a comprehensive state-wide Indigenous languages policy.

Join academics, community language workers and politicians as they discuss the urgent need to protect and maintain Australia’s languages. Supporting languages is an intrinsic part of protecting and valuing Indigenous cultures. It can provide the key to unlocking Indigenous disadvantage.

The session is being presented by Big hART, producers of Ngapartji Ngapartji, a highly acclaimed and moving theatre piece, currently in season at the Belvoir St Theatre as a part of the Sydney Festival. Ngapartji Ngapartji: meaning ‘I Give You Something, You Give Me Something’; is a concept governing relationships and exchange in Pitjantjatjara society and culture.

A rare, compelling and essential gift. – Sydney Morning Herald
This is searingly truthful, vital theatre…. certain to be remembered as one of the memorable productions of the year. – Daily Telegraph
The most important Australian work to inhabit our theatres for a long time. – AussieTheatre.com

For more information please contact:

Alex Kelly Creative Producer
Ngapartji Ngapartji
M: 0422 777 590
E: alex@ngaparjti.org