From Government News Magazine.
The Alice Springs-based group who created Ngapartji Ngapartji (a play which has sold out to national audiences and is a 2008 nominee for a prestigious Deadly Award), are calling on the Federal Government to urgently introduce a National Indigenous Languages policy.
The group released a discussion paper to Government in late July and are concerned that they haven’t yet heard a response.
Wanyurrinku wunjal-wanjal wundil yalamal jiba-badi yurra duyun wunay jani ngarra bama.
Waybala binal ngana kaday jarralinku gunna yurra wundil.
Bama kurru-jindal wunjal-wunjal waybala milka-janay kari.
Waybala wundil narmba bama-bu.
Kaki waybala jiba-badi yalamal marri-marri manil wawu-mini.
Yala mara-dajil waybala bama manil muru yaba barr wawu.
Yalamalnya jiba-badi mara-dajil reconciliation jirralinku dungay Australia ngukurr bu-bu dunday .
Can you say ‘how do you do’ at Uluru?
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
A change to note in the funding guidelines for Maintenance of Indigenous Languages and Records, now administered by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts!
“MILR will not fund proposals that include re-granting of project funds to other groups or organisations. This means that financial accountability can not be devolved.
Funding recipients, (such as Indigenous Language Service centres) that support diverse local projects, are expected to employ any paid service and project personnel, to be responsible for the purchasing and supply of goods and services and to account for all the funds received in accordance with financial and performance provisions of the funding agreement.”
This will have a significant impact on a number of language centres who have managed small grants for local language groups. The funding submissions are due in by the end of February.
The program funding guidelines are available from the Departments website.