The article summarises the 2009 Social Justice Report released 22 January 2010, and highlights Indigenous Languages as one of three key themes to the report.
Read more: Protection of Indigenous Languages a focus of National Social Justice Report
Read more: Response to the Draft Indigenous Education Action Plan 2010-2014
Article by Daniel Bateman in The Cairns Post
A CAIRNS filmmaker has the world in his lens, debuting a movie at the Berlin Film Festival.
Read more: Cairns film, in Girrimae Language, screens at Berlin festival
Article by Stephen O’Grady, from the Fraser Coast Chronicle
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 ABC online
A Brisbane academic has called for indigenous languages to be taught in schools.
Griffith University’s Dale Kerwin says Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island dialects have been denied their rightful place as official Australian languages.
Dr Kerwin says the incorporation of indigenous language into the classroom will go a long way to create social cohesion and preserving indigenous cultural heritage.
A reminder that UNESCO's International Mother Language Day is officially celebrated on 21 February. This year, UNESCO has declared that the day will be celebrated in the framework of the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.
Read more: UNESCO's International Mother Language Day Celebrations
Parkes Shire Council embraced the theme for NAIDOC Celebrations “Honouring our Elders, Nurturing our Youth".
Pictured at the unveilling are Parkes Shire Council's Mayor, Cr Ken Keith, Peak Hill Wiradjuri Elder Mrs Rita Keed and Wiradjuri Elder and Linguist Mr Stan Grant AM
As part of the NAIDOC Celebrations in Parkes Shire, a "Welcome to part of Wiradjuri Country" sign was unveiled at Peak Hill by Elders Rita Keed, Stan Grant AM, and the Parkes Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Ken Keith. School children from across Parkes Shire, Council and RTA representatives also attended.
Read more: Wiradjuri Country Signage Project Nomiated for a Local Government Cultural Award
Should Australia's national anthem include an Indigenous verse?
The idea has been around for sometime but former senator Aiden Ridgeway has again raised the question about adding an Indigenous verse to our national anthem.
Mr Ridgeway believes, "Most people seem to think the anthem is a little on the dull side so I think we need to do something more to bring it to life and give it connection back to country and that place being Australia." CBOnline article by Gilmour Johnstone
The future of past broadcaster of the year, 2 CUZ FM and the Muda Aboriginal Corporation Language Centre is not certain after both programs failed to gain Federal funding in the latest round of grants.
Read more: Closure of Indigenous Languge Centre at Bourke, Western NSW
Read more: Eastern States Indigenous Languages Education Roundtable.
The notebooks belonging to lieutenant William Dawes from the first fleet has allowed historians to create an online version of the 200 year old manuscript.
The manuscript which was rediscovered in London more than 35 years ago, is one of the oldest written sources documenting Aboriginal life and culture during the colonial period.
Until now William Dawes' notebooks were only available in Australia in a poor microfilm version, but the new website has transformed the original text.
It's now available on the SBS website with high quality images and translations.
Graduation for Community Language Workers who completed a Diploma Australian Languages, and Warrgamay Elder who completed A Ba Arts (Language and Linguistics).
Article by Jedda Priman.
On Saturday 19th September 2009, students from the North Queensland region who completed their Diploma of Australian Languages participated in a Graduation Ceremony hosted in conjunction by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and Batchelor Inst Indigenous Tertiary Education.
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.
FREE* Summer School for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working with language.
When: 18th to 22nd January 2010 Where: Outer Melbourne (t.b.a.)
The Australian Council of State School Organisations put out a regular newsletter about Languages Education in Australia.
This month they have highlighted the National Languages Policy Announcement.
The article, and full newsletter can be read at http://www.languageseducation.com/newsl090827.htm#toc1
By Kira Love
SAVING Indigenous languages will be the focus of an upcoming seminar by visiting US scholar and native American Stephen Neyooxet Greymorning.
Southern Cross University will host the seminar entitled 'The Relevance of Saving and Keeping Languages Alive'.