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Tarwangin - Talking To Me - 27 October 2008
In this edition of Tarwangin meet new DIA Director General Patrick Walker, read about Aboriginal languages being taught in Western Australian government schools, a visit from an Indigenous North American delegation and more!
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Message from DIA’s new Director General
It is now four weeks since commencing as the Director General of the Department of Indigenous Affairs and I welcome the opportunities and challenges my new role presents.
In the time ahead, I very much look forward to serving the Western Australian Indigenous community and listening, learning and engaging with Indigenous people to support them in their endeavours.
As you may be aware the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) met in Perth earlier this month and our new Western Australian Premier led the way in organising a special COAG meeting for early next year, focusing on Indigenous Affairs.
The Premier’s determination to focus on practical measures to ‘close the gap’ is a goal everyone at DIA strives towards on a daily basis and one that I am keen to see guide our every action and decision.
I plan to provide regular updates on our progress in meeting this goal and very much look forward to working with you all to this end.
Enjoy this edition of Tarwangin.
Patrick Walker
Director General
Demand for teaching Aboriginal language grows
More teachers have been trained to meet the growing demand for the teaching of Aboriginal languages in Government schools across Western Australia.
Education Minister Dr Liz Constable announced that another eight educators had graduated from a two-year Aboriginal languages teacher training course.
Dr Constable said more Government school students were learning Aboriginal languages than ever before.
“In 1995, we only had eight schools across the State where Aboriginal languages were offered as a study option - that number has now grown to 75,” she said.
To read the full statement, click here.
Troy Cook honoured with Nowalenko Award
PALS Ambassaor Troy Cook has been awarded the prestigious Nowalenko Award. The award, initiated by the Essendon and Richmond Football Clubs in conjunction with the AFL recognises an Indigenous person who has contributed significantly to Australian football and the community.
The award was judged on two criteria: the individual’s contribution to football and his contribution to the community, whether this is the Indigenous or the broader Australian community.
Troy’s nomination was submitted by the David Wirrpanda Foundation where he works as a mentor and project officer.
The name of the award (pronounced NO-WARL-ENK-O) comes from the Woiwurrung language, spoken by the Wurundjeri people, whose traditional land includes the area around the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The word represents a range of characteristics including success on ground and the effect of contribution to club and community.
$558,000 for Pilbara projects
The State Government has announced $558,466 towards 13 projects in the Pilbara region as part of the 2008-09 Regional Development Scheme.
Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls said the projects had been chosen for their contribution to the economic, social and environmental development of the Pilbara region.
The largest project in the scheme is a $100,000 grant to the Kunawarritji Aboriginal Corporation to assist the redevelopment of the Kunawarritji Community store.
To read the full statement, click here.
Child health survey data available
The Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey (WAACHS) website contains information from the most comprehensive survey of Aboriginal child health and development ever done in Australia.
Access to all survey publications, regional profiles and research themes is free, and recently the survey questionnaires have been added to the material available.
Researchers can apply for supervised access to the data collected or can ask for specific data tables to be created.
To find out more, click here.
Half a world away, but looking in the same direction
This was how participants described a meeting between Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA) staff and a visiting Indigenous Canadian delegation.
The group of five Canadian and American Indigenous visitors visited DIA on 7 October for an informal sharing of ideas.
The visit was part of a month-long group study exchange organised by Rotary International between British Columbia, Canada and Washington State, USA and Western Australia to promote international understanding.
The Canadian group comprised Keetah McBeath of the Onondaga Clear Sky of the Six Nations in British Columbia, Niki Cleary of the Tulalip in Washington, Paula Tait of the Tsayu in British Columbia, Carlos Eschevarria from Washington and Jay Havens of the Iroquois Mohawk of the Six Nations of the Grand River in British Columbia.
While at DIA they met with Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff from different operational areas for a wide-ranging discussion.
The visitors were very interested to compare the lives of Australian Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders with their own.
The discussion covered a number of similarities and differences in experience, history and bureaucratic treatment.
DIA staff were particularly interested in the nature and effect of treaties signed between the various Indigenous Nations and the Canadian and United States Governments.
The North American visitors explained their system of identification cards which are used to administer benefits to the Indigenous holders such as cheaper petrol on the reservations and tertiary education fees.
They also explained the reservation system and cited examples of particularly far-sighted management practices that have seen the Nations working towards economic independence.
Of particular interest to both groups was the issue of intellectual property and the way it is viewed and valued.
This visit was one of the first in a full month of activities for the visitors which includes visits to the Goldfields and Central Desert regions.
Wardarnji Festival
This year’s Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Festival will be bigger and better than ever!
Put on by the Fremantle City Council, it will feature music, dance, bush tucker, art and – very importantly – is the venue for the announcement of this year’s PALS winner.
Wardarnji is a Noongar word from the Busselton region, meaning sea people. The Wardarnji Fesitval is celebrated where the Derbarl Yerrigan or Swan River meets the salt water, for thousands of generations this area has been known by the local Noongar people as Walyalup or Fremantle.
Look out for the PALS stand at Wardarnji, where the PALS team will be talking to students and teachers about PALS and Reconciliation and handing out fun PALS goodies.
This years’ festival is on Saturday 15 November from 3pm at the Fremantle Esplanade Reserve. Entry is free.
Rural and Remote Mental Health Conference
The Rural and Remote Mental Health Conference will be held in Geraldton from Tuesday 4 to Friday 7 November 2008.
Hosted by the Western Australian Country Health Service, the conference will bring together mental health professionals from around Australia. The keynote speakers are:
• Dr Steve Patchett - Executive Director, WA Mental Health,
• Barbara Hocking - Executive Director, SANE Australia,
• Professor Bruce Singh - Deputy Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne,
• Isobel Collins - Director, Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council,
• Dr Andrew Campbell – Consultant Psychiatrist,
• John Lesser - President, Mental Health Review Board of Victoria,
• Dr Ken Fielke - Clinical Director, Country Mental Health South Australia and
• Ron Coleman – Mental Health Trainer and Consultant
For more information click here.
Indigenous maternal and early childhood program funding
BHP Billiton is calling for Expressions of Interest for funding for Indigenous maternal and early childhood health programs in the Pilbara.
Community development organisations are invited to submit a plan for a five-year partnership with BHP Billiton which will help improve the health and wellbeing of Indigenous mothers and children.
For more information click here.
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