Today is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Did you know, Indigenous people make up less than 5% of the world’s population, but speak the majority of the world’s estimated 7000 languages?
Continue reading International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
A special NAIDOC event took place at MDWg on Tuesday, July 10. MDWg opened its doors for an Open Day, and combined this event with the launch of Aboriginal Interpreting Western Australia (AIWA, formerly Kimberley Interpreting Service).
Ngoondengintha-yoowoorr yawoorroong gawooleng Miriwoong.
(Us Miriwoong women are great.)
The following blog was written by Jane, a Jawun secondee that the MDWg team had the pleasure of getting to know this year. Continue reading Reflections from a Jawun secondee
On June 9, a cohort of Year 3 students performed a Miriwoong song at the Kununurra District High School’s whole school assembly. This is the first time in recent memory that a song in an Indigenous language has been performed at the school.
Continue reading Ninggoowoong Woorrnging: The Miriwoong Family Song
In early May, the MDWg team visited an important Miriwoong cultural site- Moonamoorem (the Goanna Dreaming). Here, we gathered footage for a film about Miriwoong storytelling. Our Project Linguist, Frances Kofod is recording and producing this film. Frances has been working with MDWg staff and Miriwoong Elders to capture stories that are important to Miriwoong people. An important part of this project has also been to encourage younger team members to tell their own stories. Continue reading Team visit to Moonamoorem, The Goanna Dreaming Site
This year has been a busy one for the team at MDWg. We’ve spent lots of time learning language from our Elders, continued recording on Waringarri Radio and taught Miriwoong to 400 woothoo-woothoong (children) each week.
2017 has been a huge, productive and exciting year for everyone at MDWg. We’re extremely proud of the achievements made by Language Workers, the Language Nest team, and the organisation as a whole. We’ve compiled some of our favourite photos to recap the year- we hope you enjoy it!
In early November, Senior Language Worker Glennis Galbat-Newry began the first of two blocks in a Certificate II in Indigenous Leadership. Glennis, along with a group of other emerging leaders participated in the course. The course was delivered by the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC). On December 8, Glennis completed her second and final block, and accepted her certificate at a graduation ceremony that night.
This year, MDWg launched the Miriwoong Language Rescue (MLR) initiative. The Miriwoong Language Rescue is designed to raise awareness amongst East Kimberley visitors, tourists and residents of the work that we do at MDWg. By making people aware of the steps being taken to preserve and revitalise the Miriwoong language, we are inviting supporters and advocates to the MDWg community. Continue reading Miriwoong Language Rescue
