Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative

Brothers mark milestones of religious commitment

sue — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:56:11 +0000

For Brothers Mika Cilicewa and Brother Steve Morelli of the Diocese of Lismore’s Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, 2013 is a significant year for their religious commitments as they each celebrate extraordinary milestones. Please click on the image below to read the complete Mid-Coast Observer newspaper article. A new window will open and the article will automatically download as a pdf file. The download size is 408kb.

Br Steve Morelli devotes a lot of his time working on the revival of culture, story and song of the Gumbaynggirr language. He celebrates entering the Christian Brothers 50 years ago.

People get together to learn Bundjalung language!

sue — Sun, 05 May 2013 23:37:52 +0000

Lismore local, Binnie O’Dwyer invited Margaret Sharpe to come to a language workshop in Lismore in April, held at Thelma James’ Bundjalung café ‘Gunnawannabe’. Roy Gordon and other Lismore Elders had a valuable input to the day, welcoming everyone and advising on language matters.

Margaret has worked on the many dialects of Bundjalung language and was keen to help people learn more language, she has recently published an updated dictionary – grammar in electronic format. Some non-Aborignal people attended, as well as Bundjalung people from Lismore, Grafton and Cabbage Tree Island. Everyone shared their language knowledge and teaching ideas; the general feeling was that it was a positive step in supporting Bundjalung revitalisation.

Anna Ash from Muurrbay- Many Rivers Language Centre traveled up with Terrie Lowe, a Bundjalung student of the Masters in Indigenous Languages Course at the University of Sydney, to see how Muurrbay could help out, and shared some language teaching ideas that have worked well for other Aboriginal langugaes in northern NSW. Gary Williams and Anna regularly visit people throughout Bundjalung country: recording Elders and supporting the growth of Bundjalung language yarn ups and classes.

The next meeting in Lismore will be held on the 18-19th May, and we hope there will be many more to follow!

Please click on each image to view an enlarged version.

12th Australian Languages Workshop held at Stradbroke Island

sue — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 03:17:37 +0000

Gary Williams and Anna Ash travelled to Stradbroke Island to attend the 12^thAustralian Languages Workshop, hosted by the School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies, University of Queensland and held at their Moreton Bay Research Station. Thanks Felicity Meakins and Myf Turpin for a fabulous weekend of interesting linguistics and yarning up.

Gary and Anna travelled with Terry Lowe, a Bundjalung woman from Grafton who is studying the Masters of Indigenous Languages Education at the University of Sydney. The workshop is a great opportunity for linguists and students of Aboriginal languages to share recent research, socialise and network. Several people commented that Aboriginal linguists and students were there in greater numbers than ever before: a positive sign for the future of Aboriginal languages!

There were many fascinating talks, covering all aspects of linguistic research, including those areas where it overlaps with such areas as Country, stories, geology and Information Technology Jeanie writes: The talk I gave was part of my PhD which is part of an ARC project on ‘Skin and Kin through Aboriginal languages’ based at ANU. I am specifically looking at historical documents to revisit the Section and Moiety names from SE Qld which is basically the same as the Kamilaroi system and probably other language groups on the East Coast. I am particularly focussing on Cherbourg community a former government reserve and still under the control of the local/state and Federal governments. It also looks like the Kabi side are matrilineal through totem and section/skin names and the Wakka are Patrilineal descent but with the Totem and skin name through the Mother again. According to some writers this is common in many places.

Aunty Donna Ruska, an Elder from Stradbroke, visited the workshop to catch up with friends like Gary Williams. Photo by Terri Lowe.

Gathang language is now live online!

sue — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:25:23 +0000

FirstVoices training participants at Muurrbay in 2011.

On Wednesday, December 12, 2012, Gathang community members gathered to celebrate the launch of a new web portal dedicated to the revitalization of their Indigenous language. Media were invited to attend the event, which took place at 2 p.m. in Room AG 03 in the General Education building at Taree TAFE, Montgomery Crescent.

The first of its kind in Australia, the Gathang portal includes a dictionary archive, images and audio, allowing learners to go online and listen to their language – anywhere, anytime! Additional pictures and audio will be uploaded in the coming months, and in time language games and activities will be added. Please visit www.firstvoices.com/en/Gathang to see what has been achieved.

Made up of the Birrbay, Warrimay and Guringay peoples, Gathang speakers cover a large part of coastal New South Wales from Port Stephens to Port Macquarie. “We have a limited number of fluent speakers,” says Gathang language administrator and community member Jeremy Saunders. “Having the portal will engage young people in language learning, as well as give those living away from home the chance to enhance their language knowledge.”

The portal is the result of a collaborative effort between two Indigenous organisations from opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean:

FirstVoices, a program of the First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC) is based in British Columbia, Canada. The FirstVoices suite of web-based tools and services support Aboriginal people engaged in language archiving, teaching and revitalization. Launched in 2003, FirstVoices has worked with over 60 languages from Canada and the U.S.A.

From left: Peter Brand, Anna Ash (sitting), Julie Long, Michael Jarrett and Gary Williams, at the Puliima conference in Brisbane 2010.

Muurrbay is a Regional Aboriginal Language Centre that supports Aboriginal people on the east coast of Australia to revive their language and culture. Based on Gumbaynggirr country, Muurrbay initially focused on Gumbaynggirr language reclamation. Through their regional wing, Many Rivers Aboriginal Language Centre, established in 2004, they support another six languages, including Gathang by documenting languages, publishing language resources and developing courses for adults.

FirstVoices co-visionary and manager Peter Brand first met Anna Ash, regional co-ordinator with Many Rivers, at Puliima, a national Aboriginal languages conference held in Brisbane in 2010. Following much discussion and community consultation, FirstVoices and Muurrbay agreed to run a pilot project, the first of its kind in Australia, whereby the Gathang language database that was the basis of the published dictionary would be uploaded to the FirstVoices web hub. A Gumbaynggirr project will follow in 2013.

Peter, an Australian expat, has traveled from his home in Canada to attend the community’s official launch of the new website. “I’m extremely excited to see Muurrbay break ground in this area. It’s daunting for Aboriginal communities to put their languages on the web, but in our experience, making use of the latest technologies can greatly support the language work that goes on within the communities, and the fear of appropriation is not warranted.” Peter will be visiting several locations in Australia in December and January to encourage and assist other communities to participate in FirstVoices.

“Muurrbay has published several dictionary-grammars, which is an important first step, but people say that they want to hear their language,” says Anna Ash. “This online archive will make all the difference to revitalizing the language. The hard work and dedication of the Gathang language recorders has made this a reality.” Anna is referring to Jeremy Saunders and language recorders Mandy Davis, Marcus Rowsell and Jim and Tony Ridgeway, who were trained by FirstVoices in December last year and have been adding audio and visual resources all year.

Muurrbay gratefully acknowledges funding from the Australian Government’s Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport via its Indigenous Languages Support (ILS) program.

For more information or to arrange interviews please contact:
Anna Ash Many Rivers Aboriginal Language Centre Coordinator Tel: 02 6568 5695 or 0404 456 992 Email: MRALC@westnet.com.au
Peter Brand FirstVoices Coordinator Tel: (001117250) 652-5952 ext. 204 Email: peter@firstvoices.com

Here a few media releases. Please click on the publisher to view the article / video:

NBN television interview ~~ Manning River Times photo gallery ~~ ABC News article ~~ Prime television interview ~~ ABC Open interview

Gumbaynggirr stories now on map

sue — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 05:26:02 +0000

The Legendary Pacific Coast, a major tourism drive from Sydney to Brisbane, has combined with regional Aboriginal communities to create a groundbreaking tourism product with wide-reaching community benefits.

Please click here to read the full article from the Coffs Coast Advocate…

Please click here to download the article in pdf…

To check out the Legendary Culture & Heritage Trail, please click here…

Dhanggati Elders reveal bridge name proposal in song

sue — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 03:50:12 +0000

COUNCIL business took a back seat for a while at Tuesday’s monthly meeting and the chamber filled with song as an Aboriginal delegation’s members made their case for the official naming of the Macleay Floodplain bridge. Members of the Dhangatti Language Group came up with the name “Yapang gurraarbang gayandugayigu” during a discussion at their TAFE class. It means “Very long track to the other side”. They hope the Aboriginal name and its English translation will be adopted together as the official name for what will be the longest bridge in the southern hemisphere.

To read the complete The Macleay Argus article, please click here….

Dhanggati – A Living Language

sue — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 04:59:13 +0000

Where do the names for animals and things come from? Someone at some stage made a decision: we’re going to call this animal a platypus. Actually is was during the late 18th century: from Greek platupous ‘flatfooted,’ from platus ‘flat’ + pous ‘foot.’

So being that it’s an Australian animal, what was it called in Aboriginal Languages?

Many of the languages along the coast of NSW were lost when Aboriginal people were punished and even gaoled for speaking their own languages in the Missions.

So much so that the Elders wouldn’t teach it to their children for fear of what may happen to them if they were caught speaking it. Even today some Elders are scared to learn their own language.

The Dhanggati language is one that has miraculously survived through a stroke of good luck or cruel irony.

Please click here to read the full article on ABC Open What’s your story? website.

Gumbayanggirr Art Show in Sydney: Nyamibiin Gaagalnyarr Juluumnyarr

sue — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 02:41:40 +0000

From the Nyamibiin Gaggalnyarr Juluumnyarr Collection – Artist is Aunty Emily Walker

Nyamibiin Gaagalnyarr Juluumnyarr – Women from the Sea & the Mountains.

A collection of artworks in felt created by Gumbaynggiir artists, with Swiss Artist Margrit Rickenbach, are exhibiting at Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative.

Supported by the Australia Council for the Arts’ 21st Century Stories, the works reflect the artists’ stories and thoughts about changes in the first decade of the 21st Century. A catalogue is available which provides some background to the artists and their creations, and includes Gumbaynggirr titles for all artworks.

The exhibition opening is on Saturday 29th September, at Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative, 55-59 Flood Street Leichhardt NSW, from 4 to 6pm. Please come along! The exhibition will run from 29th September until 21 October 2012.

Yaygirr Dictionary launch radio interview on ‘the wire’

sue — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 06:19:39 +0000

One more Indigenous language is being revived through the hard work of the local people. For more than six years, David Prosser, an Indigenous teacher and mentor, has been working together with the Yaegl Elders and the Muurrbay Language and Cultural Centre to construct a Yaygirr language Dictionary. To listen to the interview, please click below:

To visit ‘the wire’ website, please click here

Worth Place Park – Honeysuckle Newcastle 2009

sue — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 05:32:12 +0000

In 2007 Lillian Eastwood from the Guraki Aboriginal Advisory Committee of City of Newcastle Council consulted Muurrbay linguist Amanda Lissarrague outlining the possibility of incorporating local languages from Warrimay (Gathang) and the language from the Hunter River – Lake Macquarie for a public artwork commissioned by the Honeysuckle Development Corporation, Newcastle.

This sculpture designed by Zenscapes Landscape Architects Milne and Stonehouse, reflects layers of Aboriginal and English languages, and historically aspects of geology, maritime, and mining that continues to be evident in and around the mouth of the Hunter River.

“The languages and the representation of the midden in the artwork, convey the message that Aboriginal people occupied that space from long ago and had a great diverse life on the river. I personally believe if we can add and build the layer of Aboriginal language and history into the fabric of the Newcastle landscape then we build hopefully a safer, more tolerant and inclusive Novocastrian community” (Lillian Eastwood).