The books will be published for use by community members Ingahm where teacher and teacher aid community members will use them in schools and community programs.

Well done to Bridget Priman and all those who have been working on the texts.

At the same time Bridgit has been working with Jedda Priman, Robert Paul and Black Ink to continue the Language multimedia project for children. More information about this project will be posted soon.

Mirroma Workshop Participants Thursday Island

We have just started today and the workshop is going great. The Thursday Island mob are very excited and couldn’t help but comment that a black fella must’ve come up with the concept of Miromaa.

We got to customising Miromaa and entered in at least 5 word entries. It’s amazing just about all their custom labels and fields are in the different dialects of the Torres Strait languages. All five entries have sentences, translated and word for word!

Tomorrow, we will begin with multimedia recording etc, adding those to Miromaa and the dictionary, movie maker process.

In the breaks I have been talking with everyone about the traditional ways of the people here with their different islands and cultures. I am surrounded by lan

guage as they all help each other throughout the workshop.

There is a so much community support for the language and culture program they will be running in the schools.

I feel extremely privleged to be sitting here and welcomed by such beautiful and knowledgeable people.

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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Three graduates – Brett Leathers (Warrgamay), Lily Hart (Djirru) and Chris Kennedy (Girramay) received their Diplomas in Australian Languages after completion of the course which was piloted as a community based course commenced in Cardwell, North Queensland and the Batchelor Inst of Tertiary Studies throughout 2007/2008. There were two more graduates who were unable to attend the ceremony – Margaret Go Sam (Jirrabal, Ngadjan) and Shantel Weare (Jirrabal, Ngadjan).

This Graduation ceremony also included a graduate Elder, Bridget Priman (Warrgamay) who completed a BA Arts (Language and Linguistics). Bridget is a Warrgamay Elder who has been working on reviving the Warrgamay Language for the past 11 years and has been involved in the Indigenous Language arena for much of that time both through a State and National level. Bridget has been instrumental in liaising with Batchelor Inst Indigenous Tertiary Education and Girringun Aboriginal Corporation to implement the community based course.

The graduation ceremony marked the success of not only the graduating students but also that of all organisations associated in the implementation of the Diploma course held on country.

Queensland Stories is the State Library of Queensland’s project to collect and display Queensland digital stories; stories about your community, your house, a special person, your favourite place, or things you love to do.

Queensland digital stories are 3-4 minute mini movies where you are the storyteller and movie maker.

Queensland Stories is a growing resource providing a collection of digital stories which record and document the diversity of our lives as Queenslanders.

Is there a story about your Language project that you would like to tell? If so have a look at the SLQ website to find out how to be involved.

It would be great to have lots of stories from Language workers around Queensland, and we all like a good yarn so lets get talking!

Children from the Butchulla language program, in Hervey Bay, Queensland had a great end of year trip to Brisbane at Christmas time, which included their appearance as special guests at the State Library of Queensland Murri Christmas celebrations.

The children have for the past two years been part of an innovative and exciting program run by the Korrawinga Aboriginal Corporation which allows them to write and learn songs in Butchulla throughout the year, in preparation for an end of year performance.

The students then face the challenge of auditioning to gain a place among the final group, who come to Brisbane to make a recording of the songs. Teacher Cassie Bonner, who is herself a talented performer, says the children are always keen to attend the language classes and are including dance and the creation of their own original songs in the work for next year. This time it will include rap, rock, group and solo performances.

The 2006 CD, Gambay kalim baba-mi marigurim- Together as one standing strong is available for sale by contacting the Corporation on the phone number or email below.

The Butchulla language program has also produced the set of five language teaching books for use in the school language classes. These books and the CD have found a market with tourists through Hervey Bay, particularly teachers from other countries who are keen to include the resources in their own programs.

If you would like to find out more, contact:

Joy Bonner
Korrawinga Aboriginal Corporation
Ph. 07 41244814
Email. korra@bigpond.net.au

Thanks to Joanne Driessens at SLQ for the photos.