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Tarwangin - Talking To Me - 16 November 2007
Welcome to Tarwangin, a regular newsletter produced by the Department of Indigenous Affairs to provide the latest news and information on issues associated with Indigenous communities.
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Indigenous Representations in Australian of Year Awards
Six Indigenous Australians are among 32 State and Territory finalists announced last week for next year's Australian of the Year Award. The National Australia Day Council commented that finalists were selected from more than 3000 nominations submitted by the public, representing the areas such as community leadership, volunteering, education, arts, medicine and many more. The Aborigines and Torres Strait Islander nominated for Australian of the Year include: Noel Pearson (Indigenous leader), Professor Larissa Behrendt (Indigenous academic and writer), Stephen Page (Indigenous arts), Annette Peardon (Reconciliation activist), Mark Bin Bakar (Indigenous arts leader) and Miriam-Rose Ungunmeer-Baumann AM (Indigenous artist and educator). Indigenous services coordinator, Helen McLaughlin; tracker and community contributor, Jack Crombie; and artist and traditional healer, Gulumbu Yunupingu has also been nominated for Senior Australian of the Year. This strong Indigenous representation in the Australian of the Year awards is also reflected in two nominations for the Young Australian of the Year Award. For more information visit the website here.
Project Looks at Lack of Child Protection Workers
Indigenous children are expected to benefit from a new collaborative research project into their wellbeing. The study, titled Pathways to Better Practice, will address the problem of providing child protection services to Indigenous children and their families in rural and remote areas in Western Australia and Queensland. Project team leader, Professor Daniela Stehlik says the study is relevant and timely in light of the interventionist approach to dealing with the challenges facing Indigenous communities. "As a priority, the study will look at better ways of recruiting and retaining professional practitioners who provide quality services that build stronger communities and safer environments for the children," commented Professor Stehlik. The collaborative three year project is funded under the Australian Research Council's (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme with industry partners including the WA Department for Child Protection (DCP) and the Queensland Department of Child Safety (DCS).
Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Celebration
Invitations are extended to attend the Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Celebration on Saturday 17 November 2007 at the Fremantle Esplanade from 2pm to 9pm. Wardarnji showcases the local Indigenous culture and talent through music, dance, stage performances and stall displays and is enjoyed by more than 5,500 people each year. The Festival has activities to cater for all ages and highlights include performances by Kev Carmody, Djiva, Phil Moncrieff and the AbMusic set. Additionally, guests can enjoy cultural workshops and stalls featuring bush tucker foods, sports, and art. The Department of Indigenous Affairs is a proud sponsor of the festival's finale, the Twilight Corroboree and the State's Reconciliation Awards through its PALS program. For more information contact Public Affairs at the Department of Indigenous Affairs here.
Stolen Wages Goldfields Consultation
Having conducted successful visits and consultations through the Pilbara, Kimberley and Murchison/Gascoyne regions of WA recently, public consultations on Stolen Wages in the Goldfields area have been scheduled to commence on Monday, 19 November 2007. Consultations will be held in Kalgoorlie, Laverton, Leonara, Coonana and Norseman and will conclude in Esperance on 22 November 2007. The extensive statewide consultation on Stolen Wages is the first phase of the project to investigate the scope and extent of the matter in Western Australia. The Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA) is managing the consultation and investigation of Stolen Wages. For more information and exact times and dates for the Goldfields consultations please call 1800 221 883 or visit DIA's website here.
Making Movies Roadshow in Balgo
Young people at Balgo community are learning new skills and expressing their thoughts about their family, community life, culture and friends through film and photography. The Making Movies Roadshow which is a traveling unit of the Film and Television Institute of WA recently visited Balgo community and provided film-making workshops and screenings to local young people. Over five days, young people learned how to script, plan, film and edit their own short films. The young people involved became confident using digital cameras, sound equipment, and computer editing packages. At the end of the week, the youth were given the chance to show off their work at a community screening evening. The roadshow in Balgo complements existing media programs already running in the community, including The Kutjungka Youth Newsletter and Photo Me Project, which are both run by the young people themselves. The latter project has also recently taken out first prize for the WA State photography award.
UWA Scholarships Available
The Office of Native Title (ONT) is pleased to announce its 2008 scholarship program to assist staff interested in undertaking the Graduate Certificate/Diploma in Applied Anthropology (Native Title and Cultural Heritage) at the University of Western Australia. The scholarship program will assist in capacity building for government and non-government organisations working in the field of native title. Applications for the 2008 scholarships are open to Native Title Representative Bodies employees, employees from industry parties and employees from State Government Departments that have responsibility for native title. Applications are to be received by 3 December 2007. To download application form visit the website here and for more information, contact Debbie Fletcher on 9222 9402
Better Health Roadshow
The Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service conducted a Family Fun Day in Wellington, NSW, recently as part of the Indigenous Child Health Check Road Show currently touring Australia. The road show targeted Indigenous children aged between 0 - 14 years to participate in a health check. Indigenous role models including Nova Peris, Nathan Blacklock, David Peachey and Bo De La Cruz were in attendance to encourage and assist children with the health checks. About 200 health checks were conducted with promotional activities, sporting events, and entertainment provided. The local community along with students from seven schools participated in the event. It is hoped that the success of the road show will encourage children and adults to have regular health checks. For more information about the roadshow or when it will vist your nearest town/city, contact the Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service on (02)6845 3545.
New FTI Indigenous Media Internship
ScreenWest in partnership with the Film and Television Institute (FTI) is calling for applications for a new initiative aimed at developing long term career path opportunities for Indigenous filmmakers. The 12 month FTI Indigenous Media Internship will include: a place in the Advanced Diploma in Screen and a 12 week professional development work placement at FTI designed specifically for the Intern's interests. ScreenWest and FTI invite Indigenous applicants from Western Australia, who are 17 years old or over to apply for this internship. Applications close Friday 11 January 2008. For further information about the internship please contact Debra Miller on 9224 7347 or email.
2008 National Film and Sound Archive Indigenous Fellowship
The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) is offering an opportunity for Indigenous Australian researchers and creative practitioners to engage with the NFSA's collection and contribute to Australia's historic and contemporary moving image and recorded sound culture. The fellowship includes a supported residency at the NFSA in Canberra with access to the national audiovisual collection and its associated documents and artefacts. The successful applicant will be able to explore and connect with the collections to inspire or inform a new work, publication or live event. Applications for the Indigenous Research Fellowship for 2008 are welcome by 6 December 2007. For more information visit the website here or call Marilyn Higgins on (02) 6248 2032.
National Indigenous Documentary Fund (NIDF) Series 10
The Indigenous Branch of the Australian Film Commission (AFC), the Film Corporation and the ABC are calling for ideas for the next National Indigenous Documentary Fund (NIDF) series. NIDF series 10 will comprise of two 55-minute documentaries designed to bring important Indigenous stories to the screen, authored and crafted by Indigenous people. The aim of NIDF is to provide an opportunity for Indigenous filmmakers to work on longer-format documentaries. The ABC will commission two compelling character-driven stories from the submissions suitable for prime time screening. For more information and to download the guidelines and application forms visit the website here.
Call for Female Indigenous Filmmakers
The Tiwi Islands Pwanga Women's Enterprise is calling for female Indigenous filmmakers to document their road trip to Adelaide in late February 2008. This group of women artists and crafts people, based at Nguiu, are heading to Adelaide for an exhibition of their hand printed fabrics and would like a female filmmaker to come on board to document the project. Pwanga is a local Bathurst Island women's enterprise and all profits are put back into the business. For more information or to express your interest, contact Maren Dumbleton via email or call (08) 8970 9235.
Emerging Leaders Program and Heather MacGowan Scholarships
The Department of Sports and Recreation (DSR) in conjunction with Womensport West and the WA Sports Federation will be hosting a morning tea to provide information about the Emerging Leaders Program and the Heather MacGowan Scholarships. The information session has been scheduled for Friday 23 November 2007 at 10.30am at the DSR's Conference Room (246 Vincent St, Leederville). Ten scholarships for the Emerging Leaders Forum of up to $10 000 will be made available annually to support successful applicants to pursue professional development opportunities. The Dr Heather MacGowan OAM Scholarships recognizes the life's work and achievements of an inspirational and extraordinary woman and the $10 000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a young person aged between 18 and 30 years who have made a significant contribution to sports and recreation in WA. RSVPs for the information session by 21 November 2007 to Joan Yorg on 9492 9708 or via email.
Positions Vacant
There are a few positions available within the Department of Indigenous Affairs. For anyone interested in applying, please visit the DIA website here.
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