Marrung News

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Indigenous Literacy Day- What is it? 

Indigenous Literacy Day is celebrated every year on the first Wednesday of September. It’s an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ stories, cultures, and languages, and this year was held on Wed 4 September.

It was hosted by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, who are an Australian not-for-profit charity that aims to improve literacy in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Each year has a theme, resources and events focussing on building literacy. Indigenous Literacy Day aims to improve awareness of the struggles faced by Indigenous communities in the educational system and acts as a fundraiser to collect resources for Indigenous kids in remote communities. 

This year, the theme was ‘Be A Proud Voice for Country’. The Indigenous Literacy Foundation will be sharing some of the deep and diverse ways children, Elders and families connect with Country, and the significance of Country in Aboriginal Communities. 

Three new books were launched this year on Indigenous Literacy Day:

bagan, barra barra, mirriwarr: The Boys Who Found Their Way

Long, long ago, after the Dreaming, two Yuin boys go exploring on a bidhu (mountain) in search of food. They meet with animals of the bagan (land), barra barra (sea) and (mirriwarr) sky, who teach them about being on Country, connecting to the land and to each other.

Written by two boys aged 12 and 13, The Boys Who Found Their Way incorporates words from the Dhurga language of the Yuin people of the south coast of NSW.

ngayawanj bagan-nggul, ngayawanj barra barra-nggul: We belong to the land, We belong to the sea

ngayawanj bagan-nggul, ngayawanj barra barra-nggul is a collection of poems and stories in Dhurga and English, by students from Vincentia High School. The accompanying artwork, created by the students for the Community, honours the people and Country to which they belong. 

The words and illustrations celebrate the students’ deep relationship with the land and sea, revealing the places, animals and cultural practices that nourish, strengthen and inspire them all. These interconnected stories reveal that we, as a whole, are part of a greater narrative and therefore have an obligation to connect with and care for Mother Earth.

Yaltji Ngayuku Papa? (Where's My Dog?)

Far out on desert Country, in the remote Community of Tjuntjuntjara, a cheeky papa (dog) called Tjanpi Tjanpi has gotten away. Where could he be hiding? Follow along as Kililpi and her friends look all over the Community for Tjanpi Tjanpi, meet the dogs of Tjuntjuntjara, see the sights and learn some Pitjantjatjara along the way.

Created by the students of Tjuntjuntjara Remote Community School, Yaltji Ngayuku Papa? gives a playful and charming tour of life in one of Australia’s most remote Communities. The story is bilingual in Pitjantjatjara and English.

What does Indigenous Literacy Foundation do?

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation was founded by Suzy Wilson, a former teacher and education consultant who owns Riverbend Books. They are a not‑for‑profit charity who respects the unique place of Australia's First People and draws on the expertise of the Australian book industry.

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation acknowledges the challenges in access to books in remote Communities. The Foundation aims to meet this need by providing new, culturally relevant books to remote Communities across Australia. Schools, Community, health, and women's centres working in remote Communities, can order books to distribute to children and families.  

The Book Supply Packs are selected for different age groups with consideration to relevant and appropriate materials based on ages.

Over 50% of books in the Book Supply packs feature Indigenous authors and illustrators, providing a sense of representation for readers and allows Indigenous young people to see their cultures reflected in stories. This is part of working towards building a sense of connection, belonging and pride. 

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation promotes early literacy, with a focus on First Language. Through their Book Buzz program, there is an aim to develop familiarity and engagement with books for children under five through a daily dedicated Story Time session, so children can develop critical pre-literacy skills. The Foundation also provides the funding for many remote Communities to translate popular books into First Languages, allowing children to start their literacy journey with books in languages spoken in their homes.  

Through the Book Buzz program, children learn to navigate books; how to hold them, how to move from the start to the end following the story, and to think about what might happen next. It is a vital learning stage in preparing children for school. 

If you’re interested in knowing more about the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, search for @indigenousliteracyfoundation on Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin, or look up their website: https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/ild 

Woiwurrung Word of the Week

If you want to learn more about the Woiwurrung language local to our area, or other languages spoken by First Australians, please check out the 50 Words Project website:

https://50words.online/languages 

The 50 Words Project is led by the Research Unit for Indigenous Language at the University of Melbourne, and funded by the Duncan Leary Trust for Australian Indigenous Languages, with all words, audio, and video recordings provided by language speakers and included on the website with permission. Australian Indigenous languages have many thousands of words, and this project aims to provide fifty words in Indigenous languages of Australia, with accompanying audio to support pronunciation. The interactive map is intended to be a useful resource for schools and educational organisations to learn 50 words in their local languages, and for the general public to discover the diversity of languages around Australia. For the best experience, the map should be viewed on a computer or tablet.

Deadly Reads

Our library here at Wantirna College holds a vast array of Indigenous Australian books, ranging from fiction to non-fiction, and beautiful picture books filled with First Nations artwork. We are excited to celebrate First Nations books this week for Indigenous Literacy Day, and have selected a few books we recommend below for you to check out!  

‘Dreaming the Land’ – by Marie Geissler 

A vividly illustrated, accessibly written history of the Aboriginal art movement from remote Australia. The artworks of Aboriginal Australian peoples are a profoundly important repository of knowledge and reflect a deep connection to Country. This visually rich survey explores the evolution of the contemporary Aboriginal art movement in remote areas of Australia across twenty-nine art centres in five states from the Kimberley through to Arnhem Land and beyond. 

‘Wilam: A Birrarung Story’ – Andrew Kelly & Aunty Joy Murphy 

In this stunning picture book beautifully given form by Indigenous artist Lisa Kennedy, respected Elder Aunty Joy Murphy and Yarra Riverkeeper Andrew Kelly tell the story of one day in the life of the vital, flourishing Birrarung (Yarra River).

Wantirna College Book Drive 

Throughout Term 3, Wantirna College has held a book drive to support the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation. We are so grateful for all of the donations and are proud to announce that we have collected over 400 books as a school from our community to be donated. Here are some photos of the donations.

Koorie Beats

We acknowledge that song and dance are an important aspect of Indigenous Australian culture, spirituality and identity, used to share stories and history. To celebrate this, we wanted to share some Indigenous Australian artists we have been listening to recently. 

‘In control’ – Baker Boy 

Baker Boy is a Yolngu rapper, dancer, artist, and actor. Baker Boy is known for performing original hip-hop songs incorporating both English and Yolŋu Matha and is one of the most prominent Aboriginal Australian rappers. Baker boy was also named young Australian of the year in 2019. Baker Boy threads Yolngu culture through his music, sharing this with the world and inspiring young Indigenous people to lean into their culture. ‘Baker Boy's new single 'In Control' has all his deadly hallmarks, spitting about the power of positivity in English and his native Yolngu Matha over a dope beat, but this time he's got the help of a children's choir to enhance the song's encouraging message of standing up and taking hold of your future’ (Triple J). 

‘Take No More’ – Emma Donovan, Kee’ahn and Archie Roach Foundation  

Written and performed by Emma Donovan and Kee’ahn, “Take No More” is a First Nations anthem of power, truth and resistance. Two of Australia’s best voices come together on this single to produce a silky, soulful and powerful track which is unifying in nature.  

This article has been written by two social work placement students working in Wellbeing, Ashlee and Jazz.