L-R: Lance Verburg, Batchelor Institute lecturer Samuel Carmody, Courtney Collins and Vincent Forrester at the Darwin Sailing Club.

Last month, Batchelor Institute creative writing students Vincent Forrester and Lance Verburg attended a two-day workshop in Darwin with internationally published Australian author, Courtney Collins.

The workshop, held at the Darwin sailing club overlooking Fannie Bay, was titled “Beneath the Surface”. Like the name suggests, Collins encouraged all of the participants to reach for the deeper imaginative place that a writer must go, and with impressive results.

Lecturer Sam Carmody said that the workshop was a great way to meet fellow writers and to learn from their different approaches, but also was an opportunity for students to pass on their insights to Darwin writers: “It is great for our writing program to establish that relationship with the Northern Territory Writer’s Centre, and for other writers in the community to meet our talented students and hear their stories.”

The Diploma of Creative & Indigenous Writing at Batchelor Institute provides students with the opportunity to develop writing skills in a variety of genres, and establish a firm knowledge base for the strengthening of Indigenous culture through an understanding of Indigenous and non-Indigenous writing traditions.

In particular, it emphasises how these genres continue to be used by Indigenous peoples in Australia and elsewhere to articulate their own ‘voice’, and to communicate their histories and contemporary experiences to, and within, dominant non-Indigenous powers and the broader society.

Molly Presley, Marie Presley, Mandy Kemarr and Lillian Kemarr performing awely. Photo: A Sanchez courtesy of Music Outback Foundation

Aboriginal women from the Anmatyerr and Warlpiri language groups from Central Australia and Kam minority women from South Western China have joined together for a musical exchange at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

For both groups, singing inspires feelings of home – longing and belonging. In this unique cultural exchange these two groups gave joint performances of their traditional songs on April 12th, showcasing their distinct Indigenous musical cultures and bringing to life their translations and imagery for a world-first concert.

The public performance accompanied the book launch of ‘Songs of Home’ from Batchelor Press and was hosted by Nyungar/Hakka actress and singer Kylie Bracknell with translations by Australian-based Chinese musician Lui Lu and Anmatyerr teacher April Ngampart Campbell.

The Songs of Home book is in two parts – one part is dedicated to the Anmatyerr group and has been written by April Ngampart Campbell and Myfany Turpin. The other part is written by Catherine Ingram, a musicologist based at the University of Sydney who has worked with Kam people for many years documenting song traditions. The book presents background on each group, such as information about their country and language and profiles of the artists from each group.

The book is the latest in a series of traditional music publications from Batchelor Institute Press produced in association with the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics. Batchelor also has a strong relationship with the Anmatyerr women of Ti-Tree and has recently published another book with these women – Travelling to Angenty Country.

Anmatyerr and Warlpiri are the two main language groups at Ti-Tree in central Australia Northern Territory. These women perform traditional songs called awely / yawulyu which relate to their homelands. The group is led by cultural leader Clarrie Kemarr Long whose ceremonial knowledge and songs feature in the Batchelor Press book Mer Angenty-warn alhem. Travelling to Angenty Country, and the film documentary Mer Rrkwer akert. The group will perform songs from their country and explain the relationship between the songs, their lands and the family relationships that bind the songs, lands and people together.

Kam (in Chinese, Dong 侗) minority people have an officially registered population of approximately 3 million, most of whom are resident in southwestern China (Guizhou Province, Hunan Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region). The first language of many Kam people, particularly those living in rural Southern Kam areas, is a dialect of Kam—a Tai-Kadai family language that is completely different from Chinese and has no widely used written form. Kam communities have faced massive social transformations in recent decades due mainly to youth migration for employment along China’s eastern seaboard.

Kam women will be performing a variety of songs from the many different Kam song genres, including choral Kam big songs. Big song was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, under the title “Grand Song of the Dong Ethnic Group”. The singers will explain and demonstrate how important knowledge, concepts and ideas about their home region are represented and conveyed in song.

Father and daughter music duo Raymond and Eleanor Dixon, who feature in the film Warlungka, screening during the Arrpenhe-nthenhe program of the Something Somewhere Film Festival.

As a part of this year’s Something Somewhere Film Festival, languages from Central Australia were put front and centre in a new program. With the help of Arrernte elder MK Turner, the program was named Arrpenhe-nthenhe – meaning ‘where’s the other one?’.

Dr Margaret Carew, a linguist at Batchelor Institute’s Centre of Australian Languages and Linguistics (CALL), worked in curating Arrpenhe-nthenhe, which was devoted entirely to Indigenous Language films from the heart of Australia.

It is a project of the Arrernte Language Office at the Desert Peoples Centre, in partnership with the Something Somewhere Film Festival. It is supported by CALL at Batchelor Institute and the Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and Arts program.

Arrpenhe-nthenhe screened films at a festival session at the Alice Springs Cinemas. The eight films featured in this section were in Arrernte and Eastern Arrernte, Warlpiri, Mudburra, Kriol, Alyawarr, Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and English. Other films appeared as shorts before features in other sessions, and there were a number of films programmed into the Secret Swag screenings in the festival lounge across the weekend.

Highlights of the program included the launch of Warlungka, about the father-daughter music duo from the Barkly region, Rayella, who have been touring the country as the support for Violent Femmes. As well as the premiere of CAAMA’s songlines project, Artnwer: Desert Dingo.

It also included Mother Tree, directed by Akeyulerre, Maya Newell and Blake Kendall. This is a dreamtime story about a dangerous dingo that wants to eat two children, stalking them as they hunt for animals and collect plants on their country. The film is one of a series made by and for Arrernte families through Akeyulerre, the Arrernte Healing Centre in Alice Springs.

One short film is about the concepts of ngaltunytju ‘compassion’ and mukulya ‘love’ as described by Maringka Burton, a traditional healer. Filmed and edited by Rhett Hammerton.

Pangkupirri is about a group of women visiting a waterhole on Marrkilyi’s country near Tjukurla called Pangkupirri. The story is simple, bringing together the familiar elements of family, place and travel. It is told in the classical Ngaanyatjarra style of mirlpa – using a story wire to mark the rhythmic beat of the story and to create symbols and tracks in sand.

In the film Ngapa yawulyu Warlpiri women sing, dance and paint up with some of the yawulyu that make up the Ngapa ‘rain’ song series.

Kardiyarlu kangurnu takes us into the memories and imaginations of Warlpiri and Anmatyerr elders as they talk about the things that came with kardiya ‘europeans’. Starting out in the sober style of the oral history interview, the screen soon pops with hilarious animations of a child’s shock at seeing a white woman, speculations about the source of tinned meat and experiments in taste testing rabbits for the first time.

Back in the 1950s at Santa Teresa mission, young men wishing to marry would build a house from local stone, to live in with their new wife. The Stone Houses film involved the digitising of footage taken by mission priest, Father Tom Dixon, who documented scenes of everyday life in the village. These recordings have recently been shown to the elders who once lived, worked and played in the village of stone houses, a profoundly moving encounter.

The Arrpenhe-nthenhe took place on Saturday April 22^nd at the Alice Springs Cinema. Find out more information on the Something Somewhere website.

Mr. Kevin Raby, Superintendent & General Manager speaking at the Darwin Correctional Precinct graduation

Prisoners from the Northern Territory’s Darwin and Alice Springs Correctional Centres are graduating at an increasing rate with real-world training qualifications.

Batchelor Institute is proud to be working alongside the Northern Territory Department of the Attorney-General Justice to improve the educational levels and employability of offenders across the NT. Through a Service Level Agreement, prisoners from the Northern Territory’s Darwin and Alice Springs Correctional Centres are able to access a wide range Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications, delivered by both Batchelor and Corrections trainers, all with the aim of increasing employability of prisoners on release.

Last month, 109 students graduated from a range of VET courses, including Visual Arts, Agrifood Operations, Engineering, Kitchen Operations and Foundations Skills. This is a significant success for the program and marks an increase in completions from 89 total this time last year.

By the end of 2016, there was a 141% increase on students obtaining educational certificates. These latest numbers are in line with last year’s growth and are promising for 2017 to overtake last year’s record breaking achievements.

Graduations are always a time for celebration and recognition of achievement. They serve as an inspiration for graduates to continue their studies and make positive changes in their lives. These graduation ceremonies were no different, with addresses given by The Honourable Ms Natasha Fyles MLA, Attorney General and Minister for Justice in Darwin, as well as the Batchelor Institute Director Infrastructure, Land & Environment, Dr Stephen Hagan in Darwin and Alice Springs.

Dr Stephen Hagan with a graduate at Darwin Correctional Precinct

 

“I was happy to share my challenges in life as a young Aboriginal boy growing up in a fringe camp in segregated rural Queensland in the early 1960s where low-expectations from teachers generally were a norm, to then overcome those ingrained levels of bigotry and come out the other end of a track well-travelled, on a positive note, with a PhD,” Dr Hagan said.

“This was in essence the message I hoped these gifted students could appreciate and believe it is within themselves to achieve likewise.”

Recognition for achievements in other programs was also given, including Step Forward from Sommerville, iTalk, NT Drive Safe, QuickSmart, all helping to recognise the strong impact that education and training can have. In Darwin, a performance from the One Mob, Different Country dancers helped to recognise and celebrate the achievements of the graduates.

This program has grown significantly over the last few years, rising from 23 students for 2013 to 181 graduates last year.

A study published in the Australian Institute of Criminology in 2016, following 5 years of data collection found that ‘study in prison unequivocally reduces post-release recidivism and, on average, increases post-release employment.’

Graduations are also a time for the graduates themselves to give recognition and in the words of two of those completing qualifications this month:

‘I have finished a Certificate I in Engineering and it has given me skills that are good to have as a labourer. It has also given me a new look at different pathways for work and I am now keen to pursue a career in this field of work. I would like to thank Darwin Correctional Precinct and Batchelor Institute for providing these courses and everyone who makes it happen.’’

‘This course has prepared me for a real job on the outside when I’m released.’

One Mob dancers at Darwin Correctional Precinct

A program that was designed to develop and implement affordable and equitable access to digital technology and communications in remote Northern Territory communities has recently celebrated the wrap up of its successful pilot year.

inDigiMOB is an innovative initiative, run in partnership with Telstra, the Indigenous Remote Communications Association (IRCA) and the Northern Territory Government, that aims to expand telecommunications infrastructure in remote communities. Batchelor Institute partnered with inDigiMOB through its Alrparra learning centre, providing access to equipment, infrastructure, a vehicle and the support of the dedicated training coordinator.

inDigiMOB is about improving digital inclusion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote NT and emphasises informal, peer-to-peer learning that values the experiences and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It does this by making available a flexible suite of resources that communities can take advantage of, according to their diverse needs.

Workshops and activities around digital skills and technology were delivered throughout the year and connectivity solutions were supported in the community. The informal environment created ongoing opportunities for community members to learn digital skills through recreational internet use on the centre computers; digital music-making; use of online services including government and financial; cyber safety; and more. inDigiMOB also delivered a number of specialist workshops at the Learning Centre, including GarageBand, iMovie and myGov.

The IT Training Coordinator Angela Voerman, a position that was co-funded by Batchelor Institute and InDigiMOB, played a key role in the program’s achievements.

“Mentors need to be part of the rhythm of life. Technology is a special thing in community. It’s hard to learn how to search or interact with new interfaces. Simple ways in are playing online games or scrolling through pictures of cars for sale. This is sometimes a way into formal study – wanting to learn to read and perhaps to write,” said Ms Voerman.

“We need to recognise the social context in which people learn and in which people teach or share what they know. Individuals do want to develop their expertise. People do want to teach, to share what they know and build things together, but they do not want to stand out or be seen as elitist by other community members. They need to engage when and how they feel most comfortable. Flexibility and opportunity are the key.”

Due to the success of this program, the Arlparra centre was able to expand its operations to include informal learning in addition to pre-existing education. This positive learning environment also became a pathway to enrolment in accredited training, with Batchelor Institute enrolments in Arlparra increasing by over 90 percent in 2016 compared to 2015.

Arlparra is the service centre for the wider Utopia community. The local community consists of five family houses and a number of campsites and includes around 150 people. The majority of the Utopia community, however, live on the 16 homelands and visit Arlparra for services, including access to the Learning Centre.

inDigiMOB focussed on two NT communities in 2016, including Arlparra and four other Alice Springs Town Camps including Karnte, Hidden Valley, Trucking Yards and Larapinta Valley.

Due to the success of its first year, phase 2 of inDigiMOB was recently launched to further expand the delivery of digital literacy initiatives and mentorship across more remote communities in the Northern Territory.

Batchelor Institute is a proud partner of this innovative partnership, which is delivering tangible positive outcomes to communities whilst respecting the needs and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

You can read more about the program and the pilot year’s outcomes here

You can watch a video from last year’s launch below:

inDigiMOB Launch from IRCA Australia on Vimeo.

Mr Robert Rusca and Batchelor Institute CEO Professor Robert Somerville AM at the signing of the MOU

Two leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait organisations have partnered in a landmark agreement that will have a significant impact on the educational and employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Batchelor Institute, Australia’s only comprehensive publicly funded First Nations Tertiary Education provider, has partnered with Rusca Brothers Services Pty Ltd through the subsidiary, Sid Rusca Training Academy.

The Rusca Group is one of the country’s most successful Aboriginal civil, mining and construction companies. This is an innovative alliance that will address the underutilised levels of Indigenous employment in mining and civil construction organisations.

As a registered training organisation Batchelor Institute will provide expert advice and management to support the development of the Sid Rusca Training Academy. The Academy aims to create a workforce for the Rusca Group of companies as well as a workforce for the broader civil, mining and construction industries.

Shannon Rusca, a Director of the Rusca Group said, “The recent growth in the Rusca Group of companies highlights that there are real opportunities being created in industry for indigenous people to play key roles. It is time to build programs and facilities for the Recruitment, Employment, Training, and Mentoring of indigenous people to skill them for the opportunities in front of them.”

The Rusca Group, an entirely Aboriginal owned and operated company, has established themselves as one of the key employers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the civil, mining, construction, waste management services and training sectors – with a number of projects with multinational companies such as Inpex, Leighton’s, Theiss, Santos and Glencore.

Batchelor Institute CEO Professor Robert Somerville AM praised the agreement as a great opportunity for two like-minded organisations to build on employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities.

“We look forward to working and building a long term and sustainable partnership with the Sid Rusca Training Academy,” said Professor Somerville AM.

“As a dedicated Indigenous training provider, employment outcomes and sustainable education that contributes meaningfully to communities is fundamental to our principles. This agreement will continue to build on a very strong track record of success.”

Batchelor Institute has outstanding success providing authentic, nation-building training and education to Aboriginal people.

“Most of our students reside in some of the most remote communities in Australia, speaking an Aboriginal language instead of English. This is our training environment, these are our people,” Professor Somerville said.

The Sid Rusca Training Academy will be based out of Noonamah in the Northern Territory and will offer real-world and authentic work environments in a training setting, including accurate simulations of worksites.

This MOU addresses an opportunity to vastly improve the level of Indigenous employment in these industries.

Robert Rusca, Managing Director of Rusca Group is excited about the development.

“This partnership will continue to improve employment pathways for Indigenous Territorians. Rusca Group have always been about providing jobs and transferring knowledge to the following generations. Culturally speaking, the knowledge transfer process is ingrained into our culture and it is naturally the direction we need to go to improve opportunities for our people.”

With over 80 years between them in building capacity and providing economic opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, this agreement is set to generate meaningful results for Indigenous employment nationwide.

“Most importantly, it demonstrates that Aboriginal organisations are best positioned to provide real opportunities for Aboriginal people,” said Professor Somerville.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students took their first steps towards tertiary education with the commencement of the Preparation for Tertiary Success (PTS) program at the Desert Peoples Centre. The 2017 intake for Alice Springs includes seventeen Indigenous students from all across Australia.

PTS is a pathway into university, but it involves more than just learning the required academic skills. Students also uncover the necessary dimensions of successful adult learning – such as confidence, resilience and the ability to learn new things. Students and staff bring together their Indigenous and academic knowledge systems to develop a strong ‘Both-ways’ learning identity. The course is free for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and offers a clear pathway into higher education.

This new cohort of students have come from near and far to undertake the course. There are three local students from Alice Springs.

One Alice Springs local, Jay, explained why he had enrolled in PTS,

‘I hope to get more confidence to prepare for university. I wish to study psychology and develop a career in that field’.

Dahmeeka, another local student, said, ‘I am doing the PTS course because I would like to obtain an entrance pathway so that I can further my study in music or philosophy at university’.

There are students from Tennant Creek doing the PTS course this semester. One of them, Selena, said the following, ‘I wanted to do this course to build my confidence up, to learn more and to help me with my work’.

There are also students from as far away as Boigu and Darnley Islands in the Torres Strait. One of these students, Lucy, from Darnley Island explained why she decided to do PTS,

‘What motivated me to come and do PTS was to build my confidence and hopefully go on to do further studies’.

Ethel, who is from Boigu Island but lives in Cairns, said,

‘I wanted to better my future and be a good role model for my kids’.

These students were joined by many others from other parts of Queensland and NSW, all of whom were undertaking PTS for similar reasons.

Jamie from Blackwater NSW said ‘I want to pursue art and creative writing but lack confidence so when I heard of PTS I thought it was the perfect opportunity to engage in study, build my self-confidence, and follow what I love’.

Benjamin from Napranum, near Weipa in Queensland, described his reasons for undertaking the course, stating, ‘I want to develop my knowledge and be an inspiration to others. I also want to tell others what development opportunities the campus has to offer’.

The students have now completed the first part of their first unit for this semester but will be regular visitors to the Desert Peoples Centre and Alice Springs, as they complete the rest of their units throughout 2017.

There will be another intake for the PTS course in July and applications for semester 2 will open in May, 2017. For more information please visit: http://go.batchelor.edu.au/pts or call 1800 677 095.

The latest round of AIDP trainees at Batchelor Institute’s campus

The latest intake of Indigenous Army recruits have started their training at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education in the Northern Territory. Over thirty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees will spend the next four months on campus, learning the requirements for entry into the Australian Army and building their literacy and numeracy skills.

The Army Indigenous Development Program (Northern Territory) or AIDP-NT is an award-winning collaboration between Batchelor Institute and the Australian Army that is successfully increasing the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the defence force. Students are supported in developing key skills within a culturally appropriate learning environment.

In addition to standard training, recruits are often sent out to lend a hand in a wide range of community projects, including Barunga festival and environmental management programs. These activities instil a sense of pride and allow individuals to act as role models within the community.

The new trainees were officially welcomed by Elder Executive Advisor Academic and Cultural Leadership Dr Sue Stanton and Batchelor Institute CEO Professor Robert Somerville AM. Major General Fergus McLachlan AM also made a special visit to the campus to address the group, after recently taking on the role of Commander of Forces Command in December last year.

The AIDP-NT program was recognised at the 2016 NT Training Awards and was presented the Industry Collaboration of The Year. Lieutenant Colonel John Papalitsas,CSC, who is the Commanding Officer for NORFORCE, has a Military team made up of eight officers/soldiers (as part of his Unit) working with Batchelor Institute on the AIDP-NT program. He was among the joint team of Batchelor Institute and Army staff that accepted the award. He spoke of the distinct advantages of this partnership.

“It honestly is one of the things that I remain proudest of. Our collaboration with Batchelor and the work that is done to present opportunities to young Indigenous men and women is just phenomenal,” said Lieutenant Colonel Papalitsas, CSC.

The AIDP-NT offers a safe middle-ground to trainees, allowing young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to learn and adjust to the demands of full time employment in the Army before being sent to Kapooka for recruit training. The program is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country.

This latest intake of 33 trainees will continue to build on the program’s strong track record of success, with last year’s graduates bringing the number of Indigenous people in defence to more than 500 for the first time since World War II.

A similar program is now being conducted in the vicinity of the Army Recruit Training Centre in Kapooka (Wagga Wagga, NSW) called AIDP-NSW.

Batchelor Institute students, staff, representatives from Roper Gulf Regional Council and other stakeholders after the tractor was placed via crane into its new position

A heritage tractor that has sat untouched for more than four decades in the remote community of Barunga is getting a new lease on life. The 1904 Avery steam tractor was lifted to its new purpose-built resting place by Batchelor Institute construction students and lecturers after weeks of careful planning.

The steam tractor has a special significance to the community, after being brought in by 18-year-old Guy Rankin and two others in 1974 from Maranboy.

Rankin was there to witness the historic monument being moved to its new resting place. When asked about how he felt seeing the steam engine being revitalised for the community Rankin told the Roper Gulf Regional Council,

“When I saw the engine be first lifted off the ground, I was crying (placing his hand across his heart) because I was sad for the other old fellas who passed away before me… It bring back memories to me of the other old people who seen it be brought here”

It was moved after the local council and Traditional Owners discussed bringing in some of the history of the nearby tin mine into the community so it can be recognised as a part of the region’s history. The tractor is thought to be one of only a handful of these models left in the country.

Outside organisations have made bids to purchase the unique and valuable antique in the past. However, the local community have refused to see it relocated outside of Barunga due to its cultural significance for the area.

It was a very special day for both Rankin and the community, restoring one of the most noteworthy landmarks in Barunga.

“It’s the best thing ever that could have happened. I am very happy for this”, added Rankin.

Barunga school children show off their own hand-made train creations during the celebrations

Local Indigenous students undertaking courses in construction and civil construction at Batchelor Institute built the concrete base that now holds the tractor and used a crane to carefully position it on the platform, with the help of Batchelor Institute lecturers Alvin Tan, Liam McManus and Liam Fraser.

Batchelor Institute Executive Director for Further Education Dave Curby attended the festivities and relayed Batchelor Institute’s continuing commitment to providing training and education to remote communities.

“Batchelor Institute has had a fairly long relationship here with Barunga. One of the things we are trying to do here is to give skills to local people so they can get into jobs and move into those industries”

“It is good that it (the tractor) is being preserved for future generations. It is a really good community spirit we have here and it is great to see the whole community come out to see this piece of history coming alive again,” said Mr Curby.

Students undertaking this endeavour have not only worked towards improving their community’s infrastructure, they also will be awarded certificates in construction on completion of this practical and hands-on training course. Delivering tangible benefits to both individuals and to the local area as a whole.

Dancers from the nearby Beswick community invited the crowd up to dance with them

Council Municipal Services Officer and Barunga artist Owen Henry will play a decisive role in the final step of the renovation by leading the team that will repaint the steam tractor in a combination of traditional colours and traditional Indigenous artwork.

The 28-year-old said he was thrilled to be involved with a project that would preserve the role Barunga played in the Maranboy mine’s operation.

“It’s been sitting there for so long, it’s going to be nice that it’s going to be turned into something good,” he said.

Locals celebrated with a BBQ and performances from the Beswick dancers and kids from the Barunga school.

The work is set to be completed before this year’s Barunga Festival and was done as a part of Roper Gulf Regional Council’s Community Development Program

2017 Batchelor Institute media students with lecturers Patrick McKenzie and Gary Haslett

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have converged at Batchelor Institute to begin their studies in screen and media. Australia’s Indigenous media outlets play a valuable role in challenging stereotypes and giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a voice through both community-based and mainstream networks, allowing them to portray often complex issues accurately and realistically.

The next generation of Indigenous broadcasters are cutting their teeth at Batchelor Institute and are developing skills in radio programming and announcing, as well as film and television production.

The Indigenous Remote Communications Association (IRCA) stated in 2016 that ownership and management of Indigenous media is critical for the affirmation of Indigenous people, as well as for the maintenance of culture, language, stories and Indigenous histories.

IRCA also found that approximately 73% of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory and more than 50% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia listen to an Indigenous radio station every month. This shows how highly valued Indigenous radio and broadcasting is by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Batchelor Institute aims to assist in providing the industry with qualified and capable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander broadcasters through these kinds of educational programs.

Previous graduates of Batchelor Institute’s media courses have gone onto to significantly shape the Indigenous and wider media industry, winning awards and taking up key roles as broadcasters across the country. Batchelor Institute offers three industry recognised qualifications in media, taught by lecturers with decades of experience as professional broadcasters and educators.

Students are often undertaking the course whilst also participating in community radio, working as filmmakers or as journalists within their own communities.

Student Heath Baxter came to Batchelor Institute to further improve his skills after volunteering in community radio since 1997. He has been working on getting back into filmmaking.

“I worked my way over to Larrakia radio and I was there for a fair few years. Then I left to do other things. I came back probably 2014 and decided to get back into film making, trying to get into that area of media”

Heath has already seen his work broadcast nationwide whilst studying at Batchelor Institute.

“Last year, when I was doing the training with certificate four, I put in a synopsis for a TV series called Our Stories on NITV. I was one of the lucky ones that got chosen so I got my first TV credit and that was because of all the training and mentors here at Batchelor Institute, who passed on those skills and their knowledge of the industry and how it works.”

He has returned this year to complete his diploma and further build on his promising career as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmaker.

“I’m here now for the Diploma of Screen and Media. My direction is to make documentaries, so that is my goal and the reason why I’m here at Batchelor Institute. I’ve already done one about my late grandfather”

Fellow student Maxwell Tasman also has been making waves as a media professional, taking out two major awards at the National Remote Indigenous Media Festival last year.

“I’ve been doing remote community broadcasting back home. First I started as a filmmaker and then I started doing radio broadcasting. Here at Batchelor Institute last year I did a Certificate III with Paul Tolley in radio broadcasting. And now I’m here with Patrick doing film work,” said Tasman.

“I really want to get back into doing film work because I started as a filmmaker with 8PAW Media a couple years back. Now this is my tenth year working with media.”

“For me, coming here, seeing all the family come down here studying at Batchelor is important. My mother came here to study a long time ago. This time, especially doing media courses, it is interesting to do more studies for myself.”

Batchelor Institute lecturer Patrick McKenzie is a part of guiding the students in learning film and television production. As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educator, Patrick values being able to share industry knowledge within a culturally respectful environment.

“One of the things that I love about teaching at Batchelor Institute is being given the opportunity to be able to share the skills and knowledge that I have within the film industry with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

“My students come from all over Australia. All the way from the remote regions of WA to the communities in Halls Creek, all the way down across the East Coast. We have people from remote communities and urban places. There are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from all different tribes and different language speaking groups.”

“What is really valuable about learning here at Batchelor Institute is that they are developing skills at an industry standard but are also in a culturally appropriate environment. It gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the opportunity to utilise these skills and take them back to the places that they live, whether they be in remote or urban locations”

“It is a place where they can feel comfortable, and I think that is really important.”

“Many of my students have family members who have come through and done the courses. A lot of them are returning students who have come here and gone through the certificate three and they want to continue their studies with Batchelor Institute.”

“Our students have gone onto jobs at the ABC or have gone on to get their own film credits, even whilst studying at Batchelor Institute”.

With this years’ cohort of media students getting stuck into their courses, it surely won’t be long till you see their work popping up in media outlets across the country.

If you are interested in learning more about these courses, you can learn more about them here

L-R: Lance Verburg, Batchelor Institute lecturer Samuel Carmody, Courtney Collins and Vincent Forrester at the Darwin Sailing Club.

Last month, Batchelor Institute creative writing students Vincent Forrester and Lance Verburg attended a two-day workshop in Darwin with internationally published Australian author, Courtney Collins.

The workshop, held at the Darwin sailing club overlooking Fannie Bay, was titled “Beneath the Surface”. Like the name suggests, Collins encouraged all of the participants to reach for the deeper imaginative place that a writer must go, and with impressive results.

Lecturer Sam Carmody said that the workshop was a great way to meet fellow writers and to learn from their different approaches, but also was an opportunity for students to pass on their insights to Darwin writers: “It is great for our writing program to establish that relationship with the Northern Territory Writer’s Centre, and for other writers in the community to meet our talented students and hear their stories.”

The Diploma of Creative & Indigenous Writing at Batchelor Institute provides students with the opportunity to develop writing skills in a variety of genres, and establish a firm knowledge base for the strengthening of Indigenous culture through an understanding of Indigenous and non-Indigenous writing traditions.

In particular, it emphasises how these genres continue to be used by Indigenous peoples in Australia and elsewhere to articulate their own ‘voice’, and to communicate their histories and contemporary experiences to, and within, dominant non-Indigenous powers and the broader society.

Molly Presley, Marie Presley, Mandy Kemarr and Lillian Kemarr performing awely. Photo: A Sanchez courtesy of Music Outback Foundation

Aboriginal women from the Anmatyerr and Warlpiri language groups from Central Australia and Kam minority women from South Western China have joined together for a musical exchange at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

For both groups, singing inspires feelings of home – longing and belonging. In this unique cultural exchange these two groups gave joint performances of their traditional songs on April 12th, showcasing their distinct Indigenous musical cultures and bringing to life their translations and imagery for a world-first concert.

The public performance accompanied the book launch of ‘Songs of Home’ from Batchelor Press and was hosted by Nyungar/Hakka actress and singer Kylie Bracknell with translations by Australian-based Chinese musician Lui Lu and Anmatyerr teacher April Ngampart Campbell.

The Songs of Home book is in two parts – one part is dedicated to the Anmatyerr group and has been written by April Ngampart Campbell and Myfany Turpin. The other part is written by Catherine Ingram, a musicologist based at the University of Sydney who has worked with Kam people for many years documenting song traditions. The book presents background on each group, such as information about their country and language and profiles of the artists from each group.

The book is the latest in a series of traditional music publications from Batchelor Institute Press produced in association with the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics. Batchelor also has a strong relationship with the Anmatyerr women of Ti-Tree and has recently published another book with these women – Travelling to Angenty Country.

Anmatyerr and Warlpiri are the two main language groups at Ti-Tree in central Australia Northern Territory. These women perform traditional songs called awely / yawulyu which relate to their homelands. The group is led by cultural leader Clarrie Kemarr Long whose ceremonial knowledge and songs feature in the Batchelor Press book Mer Angenty-warn alhem. Travelling to Angenty Country, and the film documentary Mer Rrkwer akert. The group will perform songs from their country and explain the relationship between the songs, their lands and the family relationships that bind the songs, lands and people together.

Kam (in Chinese, Dong 侗) minority people have an officially registered population of approximately 3 million, most of whom are resident in southwestern China (Guizhou Province, Hunan Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region). The first language of many Kam people, particularly those living in rural Southern Kam areas, is a dialect of Kam—a Tai-Kadai family language that is completely different from Chinese and has no widely used written form. Kam communities have faced massive social transformations in recent decades due mainly to youth migration for employment along China’s eastern seaboard.

Kam women will be performing a variety of songs from the many different Kam song genres, including choral Kam big songs. Big song was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, under the title “Grand Song of the Dong Ethnic Group”. The singers will explain and demonstrate how important knowledge, concepts and ideas about their home region are represented and conveyed in song.

Father and daughter music duo Raymond and Eleanor Dixon, who feature in the film Warlungka, screening during the Arrpenhe-nthenhe program of the Something Somewhere Film Festival.

As a part of this year’s Something Somewhere Film Festival, languages from Central Australia were put front and centre in a new program. With the help of Arrernte elder MK Turner, the program was named Arrpenhe-nthenhe – meaning ‘where’s the other one?’.

Dr Margaret Carew, a linguist at Batchelor Institute’s Centre of Australian Languages and Linguistics (CALL), worked in curating Arrpenhe-nthenhe, which was devoted entirely to Indigenous Language films from the heart of Australia.

It is a project of the Arrernte Language Office at the Desert Peoples Centre, in partnership with the Something Somewhere Film Festival. It is supported by CALL at Batchelor Institute and the Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and Arts program.

Arrpenhe-nthenhe screened films at a festival session at the Alice Springs Cinemas. The eight films featured in this section were in Arrernte and Eastern Arrernte, Warlpiri, Mudburra, Kriol, Alyawarr, Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and English. Other films appeared as shorts before features in other sessions, and there were a number of films programmed into the Secret Swag screenings in the festival lounge across the weekend.

Highlights of the program included the launch of Warlungka, about the father-daughter music duo from the Barkly region, Rayella, who have been touring the country as the support for Violent Femmes. As well as the premiere of CAAMA’s songlines project, Artnwer: Desert Dingo.

It also included Mother Tree, directed by Akeyulerre, Maya Newell and Blake Kendall. This is a dreamtime story about a dangerous dingo that wants to eat two children, stalking them as they hunt for animals and collect plants on their country. The film is one of a series made by and for Arrernte families through Akeyulerre, the Arrernte Healing Centre in Alice Springs.

One short film is about the concepts of ngaltunytju ‘compassion’ and mukulya ‘love’ as described by Maringka Burton, a traditional healer. Filmed and edited by Rhett Hammerton.

Pangkupirri is about a group of women visiting a waterhole on Marrkilyi’s country near Tjukurla called Pangkupirri. The story is simple, bringing together the familiar elements of family, place and travel. It is told in the classical Ngaanyatjarra style of mirlpa – using a story wire to mark the rhythmic beat of the story and to create symbols and tracks in sand.

In the film Ngapa yawulyu Warlpiri women sing, dance and paint up with some of the yawulyu that make up the Ngapa ‘rain’ song series.

Kardiyarlu kangurnu takes us into the memories and imaginations of Warlpiri and Anmatyerr elders as they talk about the things that came with kardiya ‘europeans’. Starting out in the sober style of the oral history interview, the screen soon pops with hilarious animations of a child’s shock at seeing a white woman, speculations about the source of tinned meat and experiments in taste testing rabbits for the first time.

Back in the 1950s at Santa Teresa mission, young men wishing to marry would build a house from local stone, to live in with their new wife. The Stone Houses film involved the digitising of footage taken by mission priest, Father Tom Dixon, who documented scenes of everyday life in the village. These recordings have recently been shown to the elders who once lived, worked and played in the village of stone houses, a profoundly moving encounter.

The Arrpenhe-nthenhe took place on Saturday April 22^nd at the Alice Springs Cinema. Find out more information on the Something Somewhere website.

Mr. Kevin Raby, Superintendent & General Manager speaking at the Darwin Correctional Precinct graduation

Prisoners from the Northern Territory’s Darwin and Alice Springs Correctional Centres are graduating at an increasing rate with real-world training qualifications.

Batchelor Institute is proud to be working alongside the Northern Territory Department of the Attorney-General Justice to improve the educational levels and employability of offenders across the NT. Through a Service Level Agreement, prisoners from the Northern Territory’s Darwin and Alice Springs Correctional Centres are able to access a wide range Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications, delivered by both Batchelor and Corrections trainers, all with the aim of increasing employability of prisoners on release.

Last month, 109 students graduated from a range of VET courses, including Visual Arts, Agrifood Operations, Engineering, Kitchen Operations and Foundations Skills. This is a significant success for the program and marks an increase in completions from 89 total this time last year.

By the end of 2016, there was a 141% increase on students obtaining educational certificates. These latest numbers are in line with last year’s growth and are promising for 2017 to overtake last year’s record breaking achievements.

Graduations are always a time for celebration and recognition of achievement. They serve as an inspiration for graduates to continue their studies and make positive changes in their lives. These graduation ceremonies were no different, with addresses given by The Honourable Ms Natasha Fyles MLA, Attorney General and Minister for Justice in Darwin, as well as the Batchelor Institute Director Infrastructure, Land & Environment, Dr Stephen Hagan in Darwin and Alice Springs.

Dr Stephen Hagan with a graduate at Darwin Correctional Precinct

 

“I was happy to share my challenges in life as a young Aboriginal boy growing up in a fringe camp in segregated rural Queensland in the early 1960s where low-expectations from teachers generally were a norm, to then overcome those ingrained levels of bigotry and come out the other end of a track well-travelled, on a positive note, with a PhD,” Dr Hagan said.

“This was in essence the message I hoped these gifted students could appreciate and believe it is within themselves to achieve likewise.”

Recognition for achievements in other programs was also given, including Step Forward from Sommerville, iTalk, NT Drive Safe, QuickSmart, all helping to recognise the strong impact that education and training can have. In Darwin, a performance from the One Mob, Different Country dancers helped to recognise and celebrate the achievements of the graduates.

This program has grown significantly over the last few years, rising from 23 students for 2013 to 181 graduates last year.

A study published in the Australian Institute of Criminology in 2016, following 5 years of data collection found that ‘study in prison unequivocally reduces post-release recidivism and, on average, increases post-release employment.’

Graduations are also a time for the graduates themselves to give recognition and in the words of two of those completing qualifications this month:

‘I have finished a Certificate I in Engineering and it has given me skills that are good to have as a labourer. It has also given me a new look at different pathways for work and I am now keen to pursue a career in this field of work. I would like to thank Darwin Correctional Precinct and Batchelor Institute for providing these courses and everyone who makes it happen.’’

‘This course has prepared me for a real job on the outside when I’m released.’

One Mob dancers at Darwin Correctional Precinct

Last month our visual arts students were featured at the Tjungu Festival‘s Indigenous fashion parade. Batchelor Institute presented a collection of dresses made using fabric produced during a workshop at Mutitjulu and designed and sewn during another workshop at Desert Peoples Centre campus. Well done to everyone involved.

Take a look at some of these amazing looks in the image gallery below.

If you would like to learn more about our visual arts courses, you can find out HERE.

Or you can contact us by this free call number 1800 677 095 or through enquiries@batchelor.edu.au

Image credits: Yatu Widders Hunt

Barbara Napanangka Martin from Yuendumu School speaking at Knowledge Intersections

Prominent researchers and academics gathered at the Desert Peoples Centre in Alice Springs last week to highlight and share the innovative and ground-breaking research coming out of central Australia.

Batchelor Institute proudly hosted the sold out 2017 Knowledge Intersections research symposium in Alice Springs on Thursday May 18^th.  The one-day research symposium was run in harmony with the NT Writers’ Festival and adopted the theme ‘Knowledge Intersections’ in line with the festival theme of ‘Crossings | Iwerre-Atherre’.

The event encouraged local researchers to share how the work they are doing reflected the questions of ‘does research help create intersections or meeting points for knowledge systems, without one blocking or erasing the other?’ and ‘how does two-way learning happen in research and help us to travel together?’

Keynote speaker Dr Josie Douglas started off the day by presenting her work Kin and Knowledge, which explored her ethnographic study about young Aboriginal people in Central Australia. She explained how her findings show that Indigenous Ecological Knowledge (IEK) is an active part of young Aboriginal peoples’ lives.

“Young Aboriginal people are commonly portrayed in the media as problems. Negative stereotypes and deficit narratives imply they occupy a failed space within and between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal worlds. Youth are said to be lacking in culture and disinterested in cultural practices. My findings contradict such stereotypes and deficiencies,” Dr Josie Douglas explained to the audience.

Batchelor Institute’s strong research underpinnings were also front and centre, with the work of numerous staff members and students presented on the day.

Dr Margaret Carew, from Batchelor Institute’s Centre of Australian Languages and Linguistics, presented her collaborative work ‘Motivation and agency in representations of Indigenous cultural property in collaborative publishing projects’ alongside Dr Georgia Curran from University of Sydney and Barbara Napanangka Martin from Yuendumu School.

Batchelor Institute lecturer and researcher Dr Lisa Hall discussed her doctoral study, which focused on the supports and barriers for young Aboriginal teachers wanting to undertake teacher education in remote communities in central Australia.

“What became clear from the research was that there remain many barriers to Aboriginal people becoming qualified teachers due the legacy of settler colonialism and the ongoing neocolonial structures of education and knowledge systems. However, there are also powerful ways of working together that can help to overcome these barriers” explained Dr Hall.

Majon Williamson Kefu, a PhD student with Batchelor Institute, explained her research focusing on the role of learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and history in the Australian primary education curriculum.

Janine Oldfield, from Batchelor Institute, collaborated with Vince Forrester in presenting an exploration of how her PhD research on an NT language education policy, ‘Compulsory Teaching in English For the First Four Hours of Each School Day’, led to the synergy of research evidence from two knowledge systems.

Other presenters included leading researchers from across the country. You can find the full program HERE.

The event was a resounding success, with participants snapping up all the free tickets well and truly before doors opened.

As well as presenting her work, Dr Hall was also a key part of the team that organised the event.

“When the seed for this idea was planted a couple of years ago it came from the notion that there is such good research work and writing being done in the central Australian region, and that we needed to create opportunities to come together and listen to each other and share ideas,” said Dr Hall.

“This idea then began to grow again as a few of us who work at Batchelor Institute were completing our PhDs and sharing our findings informally – as we had morning teas at work to celebrate. Once again, the stimulation of listening to each other talk about these deep and important ideas made us think that it would be good to find ways of intentionally bringing people together around such conversations.”

The event also included a marketplace, selling fabrics and designs from Batchelor Institute’s visual arts students. As well as a collection of Batchelor Institute Press publications and a library information stall.

Batchelor Institute has had a long and important association with central Australia and has a strong track record of successful research partnerships with a range of Indigenous organisations, government and non-government bodies, industry and other research organisations.

You can learn more about Batchelor Institute’s research division HERE.

“Iwenhenge the pipe nhenhe mpwareke apele, ayenge ampe putyelenge amangkeke. Thipe nhenhe mapeke akaltye-irremele akngerrapate mapele iletyarte awemele – arrpenheme, kere anwerne-kenhe, arrpenhe mape anwerne arlkwentye akngerre kwenye arle.

My reason why I made this book was that I grew up in the bush. I learned about these birds from my elders – about the birds we see as food, and the other birds that are not food for us.”

Therese Ryder

A new book recently published by Batchelor Institute Press and the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics (CALL) is shining a light on the birds of Central Australia through the eyes of Eastern Arrernte artist and writer Therese Ryder.

Ayeye Thipe-akerte: Arrernte Stories About Birds has been created by Therese and linguist Margaret Carew through the Arrernte Language Office at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education in Alice Springs. It combines Therese’s celebrated and beautiful watercolour paintings featuring birds from Central Australia with Arrernte names and short stories about their appearance, habits and cultural meaning.

It has also been published with a companion app, available in iTunes and Google Play. This allows readers to hear the sounds of the birds, their Arrernte names and stories.

Therese speaks and writes her stories in the Arrernte language, sharing her appreciation for her country, the birds that reside there and their songs. She also explains the roles that they play as messengers and as food.

Therese was born at Todd River station and spent her early childhood living in the bush on Eastern Arrernte country. She travelled around from place to place with her parents and extended family, hunting for food and holding traditional ceremonies on country. Her father was Jack Ryder and her mother Nancy Ryder. Therese’s father’s country is Love’s Creek and Ndhala Gorge, Trephina Gorge, Corroboree Rock and Williams Well. The Arrernte name for this country is Pwanye. Therese’s mother’s traditional country is Titjikala, and she was born at the old Maryvale station. When she was ten years old, Jack and Nancy took her to Santa Teresa Mission, where she went to school. It was there that she learned not only how to read and write, but to paint.

When she grew older she began painting landscapes, not knowing that Albert Namatjira was a great landscape artist. Later on Therese discovered that Albert was a distant uncle to her mother. Alongside her artistic career, Therese has worked in Indigenous education as an Arrernte teacher and on many language projects, including the Eastern and Central Arrernte Dictionary. Today she continues to use her language skills, working as a consultant and advisor to a range of Arrernte literacy, translation, arts and educational projects.

The Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics (CALL) is a language centre based in the Division of Higher Education and Research at Batchelor Institute. CALL provides a service to community teams, supporting their work on language projects. This work includes language recording and documentation, publication, training, research, and resource development for language learning.

Batchelor Press is the publishing arm of Batchelor Institute. The teaching and learning resources developed at Batchelor Institute are produced primarily for Indigenous Australian students living in remote communities, the majority of whom have English as a second or third language.

To stay up to date with all the news from CALL and Batchelor Press, sign up to their quarterly newsletter below:

The Office of Elder Academic and Cultural Leadership (OEACL) offers seminars that merge academic disciplines with cultural engagement to reflect and capture the essence of the Batchelor Institute experience and ideology.

As a part of this year’s seminar series, OEACL recently hosted a range of guest speakers undertaking a Higher Degree by Research at Batchelor Institute. It provided opportunities for a range of candidates currently studying with Batchelor Institute in the Masters or Doctoral programs, specialising in Indigenous Perspectives, to present their work and to watch presentations of their peers.

On Thursday 4^th May 2017 at Batchelor Campus, as part of the Graduate School’s twice yearly Masterclass week, staff and students were fortunate to hear from four candidates who chose to contribute to the OEACL seminar:

Lexine Solomon: PhD topic – Music and Torres Strait Islander Female Identity

Jenny Fraser: PhD topic – Get Creative! The Art of Healing and Decolonisation

Lawrie Webster: Masters topic – Historical Analysis of Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory

Delvene Cockatoo-Collins: PhD topic – Arts Based Inquiry into Oral History of Mermaids

Jenny Fraser has also been recognised as our most recent candidate to have a successful outcome from examination of her doctoral thesis with Batchelor Institute.

The audience included Batchelor Institute staff and students, who were privileged to hear the range of research interests from our students and learn about their journeys as a candidate.  In closing, the crowd was treated to an original song performance crafted by Lexine Solomon.

Batchelor Institute’s Higher Degrees and Research is focused on four areas of research excellence; Indigenous Education, Indigenous Languages, Indigenous Livelihoods and Indigenous Creative Arts.

Batchelor Institute visual art student sculptures at Tjulpu Thipe!

Batchelor Institute visual art students from within the Alice Springs Correctional Centre have been featured in standalone exhibition at the Araluen Arts Centre for the first time.

Tjulpu Thipe! is a collection of sculptural works, a colourful assemblage of birds created with found objects, recycled materials, metal, paper pulp, wire, screws and even discarded work gloves (which make for excellent wings). Tjulpu and Thipe are the Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, Luritja, Yankunytjatjara and Arrernte words for ‘bird’, and it embodies the language groups of the artists.

The Alice Springs inmates’ work is usually very popular, and often sells out when previously presented at the annual Desert Mob exhibition. Within just a few weeks of the opening night 90 of the 120 Tjulpu Thipe! sculptural works were sold.

Batchelor Institute offers visual arts training and through a Service Level Agreement with Northern Territory Department of the Attorney-General Justice. Prisoners from the Northern Territory’s Darwin and Alice Springs Correctional Centres are able to access a wide range Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications, delivered by both Batchelor and Corrections trainers, all with the aim of increasing employability of prisoners on release and reducing recidivism.

The benefits of this program is obvious when speaking to some of the students.

“Having the opportunity to paint or sculpt, print or draw really helps me to express my emotions in a positive way,” said a recent graduate in visual arts from Alice Springs Correctional Facility.

“Not only can you create something beautiful, you can learn to deal with whatever problems life may throw at you a little better.”

Sold bird sculptures at the Araluen Arts Centre exhibition

Batchelor Institute Director of Alliance Management Dr Melodie Bat was present at the exhibition’s opening night.

“This exhibition is exceptional – it showcases the creativity and resourcefulness of the artists and gives them this opportunity to exhibit and sell their artwork. The story of the sculptures has many layers– they have a cultural message to bring to us as highlighted by the title of the exhibition being in both Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte,” said Dr Bat in her opening address.

“They also aim to raise awareness about sustainability by using materials that are inexpensive and often up cycled, recycled and easily sources. Let me please take a moment to thank all those who support this program – this approach is one that is leading the country. So well done everyone.”

Tjulpu Thipe! opened in May 2017. The exhibition will run until June 21^st.

Batchelor Institute CEO Prof. Robert Somerville AM, Lord Mayor of Darwin Katrina Fong Lim, Dr Sue Stanton and Wendy Ludwig A/PVC-IL, CDU at CDU

Batchelor Institute Elder Executive Advisor Academic and Cultural Leadership Dr Sue Stanton delivered the Reconciliation Breakfast address at Charles Darwin University on Wednesday last week (31st June), as a part of National Reconciliation Week.

A full transcript is available below:

Reluctant Reconciliation : 31 May 2017

“Kemec nygngah Tjalingmara Kungarakan : I am Tjalingmara of the Kungarakan .

I bring you good morning greetings from beautiful Kungarakan country.

1. My first duty today is my acknowledgment of Larrakia, Elders – past, present and to all Larrakia yet to come – acknowledgment of Bilawara Lee, Kelvin Costello & any other Larrakia in the audience.
2. My second duty today is to acknowledge my own family – all Kungarakan & Gurindji peoples – my own Elders, past & present – acknowledgement of my sister Ms Wendy Ludwig, A/PVC-IL and other Kungarakan & Gurindji peoples in the audience. I also acknowledge another sister, one who has inspired me over the years, my big sister MaryAnn Bin Sallik who is here with us today.
3. Today I also express my greetings to all those representing other First Nations groups from wider Australia as well as family, friends and colleagues from the Torres Strait Islands.
4. Of course, my greetings and best wishes to all who are in attendance at this breakfast today, especially colleagues from both Batchelor Institute, especially Professor Bob Somerville and all friends and colleagues from Charles Darwin University.

What an extraordinary last few days…and it only took us 50 years to finally move from the stalemate of the 1967 Referendum to (hopefully) a new dialogue of hope, and not one resting only on more symbolism with oblique, almost hushed references to recognition in Australia’s Constitution.

Our delegates – our brave and courageous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – our First Nations Peoples of the land mass known as Australia, and all those from adjacent islands that connect with us – I salute you today. And I thank you for those strong words, that statement from the heart that reached our ears within the last few days.

Standing up to the torment of our powerlessness, challenging the very structural nature of our problem, the Australian Constitution – the rejection of more soft words giving us token recognition in the most powerful document of the land instead of granting us our sovereign rights – the demand for constitutional reform so that we can ensure stronger and safer futures for our children is our best response so far and makes for safer and stronger dialogue in the shared space between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Australians.

While the Referendum might have signalled a new phase for some, or at least hope of a new phase when Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples were finally included in the census, it did not automatically equate into any level of genuine equality…and genuine justice still remains a casualty to this day. The constant undermining of the right to self-determination through funding cuts, increased service delivery being centralised by mainstream services, discriminatory and racist policies, Aboriginal incarceration rates has not improved while we talked Reconciliation and or the advanced model that was steering us to another powerless place – Recognition.

We deserve much more than that. We deserve much more than the same old symbolic and minimalist pat on the back, blankets and beads dialogue and distribution of ‘gifts’ of the past 200-odd years.

Lets begin the next phase of reconciliation by lifting the veil of silence and make serious effort to dismantle the cult of forgetfulness by not restricting what is taught in schools and throughout the general population. Let us recognise and reveal all the truths of the history of white Australia.  Most Australians who have bothered to learn some of that history already acknowledge TO-Custodians of country and recognise the connection to lands, waters and communities but now we need to take that a step further by listening to and reacting positively to the wise voices that spoke at Uluru a few days ago.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have waited long enough.

I am filled with hope and while still reluctant to embrace the Australian Reconciliation agenda and direction in its entirety I am a stronger person today and I am buoyed by the spirit of ordinary Australians who are also not afraid to step up and be heard and who wish to stand strong beside us on this next part of the journey that will see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples finally become real players in the overall Australian social contract.

Meaningful reconciliation will only be achieved when Australian government and its people are capable and committed to achieving goals that include working in genuine partnerships with the objective of ending inequities – in genuinely closing gaps – by ensuring support for healthy and thriving communities – across the land.

Australia needs to confront its high level racism and truly work hard at developing and sustaining credible partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Get behind and or beside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their push for substantial and genuine reform and give strong support as they face the inevitable challenges that lay ahead. As one commentator expressed at the 250 Shades of Black panel discussion on Sunday 28 May : The biggest opposition we face and the hardest battle lie for us with parliament and politicians, not with ordinary Australian citizens.

I share with you the closing words of the Uluru Statement From the Heart received by all in the last few days;

In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.

Go well and go in peace…and remember the spirits are always watching.

Thank you. Mumuk for now.”

© S Stanton

Read more on this here: ‘The Challenge for Australia: Reconciling the Treaty’

Dr. Stanton wrote this in 2006 about treaties and reconciliation. The article was published in What Good Condition?: Reflections on an Australian Aboriginal Treaty 1986-2006, ANU, Canberra and edited by Peter Read.