Wilcannia kids keep language alive in song

A group of high school students in Wilcannia, NSW, is helping to keep a local language alive for a new generation with the help of Mission Australia’s Creative Youth Initiatives (CYI).

Thirty children from Wilcannia Central School have written and recorded ‘Barkindji Song’, in the local language as part of our CYI visiting music program.

Local Elder Murray Butcher had been taught Barkindji by his grandmother. In recent years he has continued his grandmother Elsie’s work to bring the language back into the community.

“Some kids speak the language, but by recording the song it’s helping to put the language out there again,” said CYI Tutor Michael Hanlon.

It was one of two songs the children wrote over four days when CYI visited last August, the other being ‘By The Bridge’, sung in English. When CYI returned in May, they recorded both tracks in a mini studio set up in the school’s science lab over three days. ‘By The Bridge’ is receiving local radio airplay.

“They are great songs and there are some really strong singers and musos among them,” said Michael. “It’s a fantastic community and they should be very proud of these kids.”

Mission Australia’s CYI program has visited Wilcannia twice in the past year and will return in August for another music session. So far the program has been successful in boosting attendance at the school.

Based in Sydney, CYI develops young people’s creativity through visual arts and music through two core programs - CYI's two core programs are Sounds of the Street (SOTS) and Artworks!

CYI also aims to enhance self-expression, esteem and communication skills and provide positive learning experiences for young people.

Download and listen to ‘By The Bridge’ and ‘Barkindji Song’ by clicking the links below:

‘Barkindji Song’
www.missionpromotion.com/audio/wilcannia-kids-barkindji.mp3

‘By The Bridge’
hwww.missionpromotion.com/audio/wilcannia-kids-by-the-bridge.mp3

Further reading:
‘Unsung Heroes – Stories from Dubbo’ DVD launch

NAIDOC Week at the MAC

Community and unity were at the core of this year’s NAIDOC Week celebrations at Sydney’s MAC, writes the centre’s Aboriginal Community Development Worker Barry Duncan.

Kangaroo, crocodile and emu were on the menu while Aboriginal musicians Tim Gray and Vince and Michael West entertained 80 NAIDOC Week guests in glorious sunshine on the Mission Australia Centre (MAC) forecourt.

Robert ‘Sonny’ Edwards set the tone for the day when he welcomed participants to the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation and trusted they would enjoy themselves and help in celebrating a diverse and beautiful culture.

Sonny then called on Mission Australia Operations Manager Lesley Butt to help him launch the celebrations by raising the Aboriginal Flag, which represents strength and unity to so many Aboriginal people and communities.

Mission Australia Centre Manager Diana Jazic reiterated Sonny's sentiment along with acknowledging visitors and staff contributions to the day. She said she hoped everyone would enjoy themselves and, in particular, view the amazing artwork of James Simon, an Indigenous artist from Redfern who uses a vibrant and visually stunning technique.

A traditional smoking ceremony led into dance performances by Terry Olson, one of the state’s most sought-after performers.

But more was to come when former MAC resident Tim Gray delighted the captive audience with some of the skills he acquired while studying an Advanced Diploma in music at Eora College, Redfern.

“If it had not been for this centre and its supportive staff I would still be walking the road of aimlessness and homelessness,” Tim said.

Tim has become one of many Indigenous success stories to emerge from one of many Mission Australia programs.

Koori Radio Station 93.7 Live and Deadly also conducted interviews on the day, with guests including Missionbeat Service Manager Daniel Petsalis, who praised the service’s Indigenous staff member Albert Torrens.

But the true highlight of the day was a superb bushtucker feed of kangaroo, emu and crocodile prepared by staff and visitors. It was heartily consumed by all, with many coming back for seconds, thirds and even fourths. Not bad considering it was the first taste of these delicacies for some.

Charcoal Lane marks NAIDOC Week and its second birthday

Mission Australia’s Charcoal Lane, Melbourne's unique Australian and native cuisine restaurant, is marking NAIDOC Week by celebrating its two year anniversary of helping young Indigenous people get a start in hospitality.

Since opening in July 2009, Charcoal Lane has served almost 30,000 diners and hosted over 100 events, including the successful Taste of Reconciliation Bridge Lunch in March as part of the Melbourne International Food and Wine Festival. Charcoal Lane has quickly become recognised as one of Melbourne’s best dining experiences and scored 14/20 in The Age’s prestigious Good Food Guide 2011.

The fine dining restaurant provides hospitality training and personal development for Aboriginal and disadvantaged young people in partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and the William Angliss Institute of TAFE.

Yet a more telling sign of success, according to Head Chef Richard Wills, is that students have graduated from the award-winning training program and moving into full-time employment.

“Having left home myself at the age of 14 I know how hard it can be to get a foothold in a good kitchen. This is a fantastic opportunity for these young people to build some really useful skills and get a head start in a great industry” Wills says.

One of these students is Marley Kennedy (pictured bottom left), who is graduating with a Certificate III in Hospitality.

“Without the support of Charcoal Lane I wouldn’t have the same confidence that I do now. I’ve been able to meet some really great people who have inspired me to have careers just like them,” Marley said.

Marley has been nominated for Koori Student of the Year in the Victorian Training Awards and is now hoping for an opportunity to work in a resort in Uluru where she can combine cooking food and travel – two things she loves.


Further reading:

• Taste of Reconciliation dinner
• 'Fantastic food and spirit of a fair go come together' at Charcoal Lane

St George duo go the extra mile for job seekers

Petra Stride and Michael Wilson from our Employment Solutions site in St George, Queensland, have been awarded Mission Australia’s first annual Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Award for their commitment to local job seekers.

The Mission Australia Reconciliation Action Plan was developed to improve employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Mission Australia Employment Solutions is a key driver of the plan, helping job seekers source quality jobs that match their capabilities and long-term goals through employment assistance and training.

Petra and Michael have endured three floods in 12 months – but always put their clients above themselves.

Mission Australia Employment Solutions St George Office Business Manager Harry Liaubon said the award was well-deserved.

“We’re extremely proud of Petra and Michael,” he said. “They constantly go above and beyond to give their clients the best quality of service and achieve the best outcomes.”

“They share a caseload of over 100 clients – and two-thirds are of Aboriginal heritage. The trust and relationships that Petra and Michael have built with the local people are an essential part of providing employment opportunities in the community.

“Thanks to Petra and Michael, Mission Australia Employment Solutions is the employer service provider of choice for Aboriginal people in the community,” he added.

This is not the first time the pair has been recognised. Last year, the Mission Australia Employment Solutions St George office was awarded the St George NAIDOC Business of the Year Award by the local Aboriginal community.

To find out how the organisation can help you to find a job or hire employees, visit employmentsolutions.com.au

Celebrating NAIDOC Week

With its origins reaching back to the 1920s, NAIDOC Week represents a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions of Aboriginal Australians in various fields.

NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Aboriginal communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. Wherever you live, you can take part in NAIDOC Week celebrations.

Mission Australia is passionate about creating a fairer Australia for all. So it’s not just during NAIDOC week that we speak up. We are focused on running programs and creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders 52 weeks of every year.

This week we will see a range of activities take place across the nation and I encourage all of our supporters and partners to get behind this important week by participating in a local event.

Mission Australia continues to improve its services and programs to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are experiencing disadvantage – starting with our second Reconciliation Action Plan report recently receiving very positive feedback from Reconciliation Action Australia.

Cafe One in Brisbane is going strong, the new Aherlkeme Village in Alice Springs, our post-release programs, our Aboriginal driver education program, cultural revisitation programs, men’s cultural groups and our St George Employment Solutions team, recently recognised with a local Business of the Year Award for helping to break down barriers to employment for local Aboriginal people.

Importantly, communities across Australia are proactively engaged with Mission Australia through Steve Cochrane, our National Aboriginal Adviser.

We don’t pretend it’s going to be easy: it ‘s going to be a lot of hard work over long period of time to get things right, but at our heart is the passion to help people to look after themselves in the long-term, and we can help give them the capacity to do that.

Toby Hall
CEO Mission Australia

Further reading:

• New Aboriginal health clinic opens in Goulburn
• Taste of Reconciliation Dinner

Unsung heroes of the Indigenous community honoured at NAIDOC Awards

The 2010 NAIDOC Awards recently paid tribute to the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have endeavoured to improve their communities.

As the highlight of the 53rd NAIDOC Week, the Awards were presented in Melbourne by Deborah Mailman and Ernie Dingo.

1,100 guests attended the event including the Federal and State Ministers for Indigenous Affairs, Hon. Jenny Macklin and Hon. Richard Wynne.

The event showcased some of Australia's finest talent, with musicians Dan Sultan, Archie Roach, Dave Arden and Leah Flanagan performing on the night, along with a photography exhibition by Wayne Quilliam, 2009 NAIDOC Aboriginal Artist of the Year.

Two distinguished Aboriginal Australians were paid tribute at the event - the prominent equal rights campaigner Chicka Dixon and singer Ruby Hunter.  Archie Roach, who's been Ruby's partner since their teenage years, performed a moving song to celebrate her life.

According to NAIDOC Committee co-chairs Anne Martin and Ben Mitchell "Once again, the committee received many nominations from across Australia. Selecting award winners was a challenging but inspiring task.

"The quality of nominations was so high that the committee had to choose two winners for the Male Elder of the Year Award.

"The committee awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award to Vince Coulthard for his eminent leadership in Indigenous affairs, his dedication to promoting his culture and his contribution to the struggle for native title rights in South Australia."

For more information about the life work of Vince Coulthard, please visit his website:  www.vincecoulthard.com

NAIDOC provides more information about the Award winners at their website:
www.naidoc.org.au/NAIDOC-media-releases...

NAIDOC Week to celebrate unsung heroes

Next week is NAIDOC week. It's an opportunity for all Australians to acknowledge and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Everyday Mission Australia staff seek ways to contribute to transforming the lives of the people we help, and NAIDOC week provides the perfect opportunity for us to organise and participate in a range of activities to support our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

This year's theme is Unsung Heroes - Closing the Gap by Leading Their Way to recognise the substantial contributions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities' quiet achievers.

Over time these people have set enduring examples that inspire and lead others to set a new direction for the future.

Recently the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, said "In communities across Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are showing the strong leadership that's essential for real and lasting change.

"Not only are they making a difference in their communities, they are invaluable role models for new generations."

We encourage everyone to take part in NAIDOC Week and celebrate some of Australia's unsung heroes.  To learn more about local events, or for ideas on celebrating NAIDOC Week please visit www.naidoc.org.au