This Newsletter Is Supported by a Community Grant from the City of Port Phillip

Mungo…

This newsletter is supported by a Community Grant from the City of Port Phillip

and printed with the assistance of the Member for Albert Park, Martin Foley, MP.

November, 2008

FROM THE CO-CHAIR

“Learning Together” was an apt title for this year’s local government and local reconciliation group conference hosted by ANTaR Victoria and Reconciliation Victoria at the Aboriginal Advancement League, Northcote last month. The day-long event presents a great chance to network with like-minded people, learn what other groups have and are doing and to hear from some inspiring Indigenous speakers.

I was among the 90 or so participants who included fellow PPCfR members Noelleen and Harry Ward, Emely McCord, Helen Bennett and Allison Stout as well as Bo Svoronos and David McGinnis from the City of Port Phillip. Allison presented an excellent Case Study focussing on our work with the local council. It was quite impressive and I’d like to see it posted onto COPP’s website, as well as our own. (The Council gave us two tickets for which we are thankful).

With an eye on the forthcoming State local government elections, the organisers presented delegates with a ‘Statement of Reconciliation’ as to how councils can promote reconciliation in Victoria. It is something that could be particularly relevant to any new councillors elected to the City of Port Phillip next month and is a tool that we plan to take advantage of once the dust of the elections has settled. Also of interest was a talk from Len Clarke, Co Chair of the Victorian Traditional Owners Land Justice Group, about the work this group is doing, including establishment of frameworks for dealing with negotiations and ways of dealing with traditional owners, valuable tool for groups, councils and politicians alike. Other speakers included a three-woman delegation from Mildura who passionately outlined the plight of their school destined for closure by the Minister for Education, one four Victorian College of Koorie Education (KODE) schools, being targeted. As parents and teachers, they were quite adamant that their students would not be advantaged by attending the new ‘Koori pathway schools’ being proposed and could find few positives for the future of their koorie kids who from prep to grade 6, will be moved into mainstream schools and for year 7-10, into the new pathway schools set up to replace KODE and did not feel it would encourage the students to remain in school longer. (More details below).

In the afternoon, delegates broke up into groups to sit in on a range of workshops. Topics included networking with the

Indigenous community; lobbying media for local reconciliation groups; how councils and local rec groups can work together effectively; treaties and agreement, making and resources for working with schools. The latter, presented by a member of Whitehorse Friends for Reconciliation who have done some wonderfully innovative things with schools in their area, provided many useful tips and information that I believe will be helpful with our proposed project to get more Indigenous-focussed books into local schools and we will be speaking with the Council, elders and schools regarding our plans. There is quite a lot of work involved to get our idea off the ground, so if anyone reading Mungo has some good ideas, contacts and/or time to spare, please do contact the office.

Beverley Broadbent was the guest speaker at our October meeting and spoke eloquently about working and visits to a range of communities, and special sites, around the top of Australia, noting some of the changes she’s observed over the years she has been involved with Indigenous people. It began some 30 years ago when she was appointed an Aboriginal liaison person with the Australian Conservation Foundation. Hopefully, some parts of Beverley’s talk can be reproduced in future editions of Mungo.

I’m pleased to advise that we will have a guest speaker next month, our last formal meeting of the year. Allison Stout, who is studying for her doctorate in architecture at the University of Melbourne, will give a presentation about her work, called “Connecting Cultures: a look into sustainable Indigenous housing.” I encourage everyone to come along and enjoy some refreshments afterwards.

Peg Jones, an inspirational and revered PPCfR member, passed away recently and on behalf of the group, I want to extend our heartfelt condolences to her family. Some tributes to her are included in this issue.

Next meeting: Tuesday, 18 November, 6.30pm. Guest speaker: Allison Stout on “Connecting Cultures: a look into sustainable Indigenous housing.” This is our last formal meeting for the year, so please do come along if you can!

Rosemary Rule

Tributes to Peg Jones

"A long-time PPCfR member, Peg was always an inspiration. She was the most brilliant person to have at any public event for the way shetalked and engagedwith people and a loyal and staunch supporter of our work. It was always a delight to see Peg, well into her 90’s,come into our evening meetings with herwarm smile and unassuming manner, yet insightful comments.” – Rosemary Rule. “ We knew her well as a lovely, principled and dedicated person in Save Albert Park, before we got to know her again in the Reconciliation Group” - Noelleen & Harry Ward. “Thanks for letting me know. She was a tough individual and very alert. An amazing Grandmother figure for me” - Joe Malignaggi. “Peg was a truly charming and special person,” - Gael Wilson. “Peg was a great person, a gold standard for all of us” - Liz Gallois

Yalukit Wilam Ngargee festival

National Indigenous Television (NITV) will be screening a 58 minute documentary filmed during this years Yalukit Wilam Ngargee: People Place Gathering held in February 2008, the Indigenous cultural festival produced by the City of Port Phillip in partnership with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The documentary features Kutcha Edwards, Tjimba and the Yung Warriors, Deline Briscoe, Den the Fish, James Henry, the Brolga Boys, Andy Alberts and Shane Howard plus much more and will appear on NITV, a pay-tv station,on 7 November at 10.00pm.A live CD compilation was also recorded during the festival. CD's are only $15 and still available for a limited time from Bo Svoronos, Indigenous Arts Officer, , phone 0412 694 453, 9209 6502. The 2009 Yalukit Wilam Ngargee: People Place Gathering runs from 29 Jan to 7 Feb 2009. Full program details to be released online during December on http://www.stkildafestival.com.au/YalukitWilamNgargee. Yalukit Wilam Ngargee: People Place Gathering 2009 Celebrating Indigenous bay culture. YWN is a low carbon, low impact, good karma festivalpromoting sustainable transport.

Festival Volunteers Needed

Are you seeking festival experience particularly in sustainable events? The Yalukit Wilam Ngargee: People Place Gathering program needs volunteers to assist with the evaluation of its environmental impact plus other festival volunteer roles.

As one of the festival's sustainable volunteers your assistance will help us to develop communication strategies on the environmental performance of the festival and suggest ways to improve the environmental performance of the festival through reference to existing event management tools. For further detailed information email: . Please type into the subject box: YWN09 and sustainable volunteers

ANTaR Victoria News

ANTaR’s AGM Saturday, 8 November 2008, 1:30pm, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Fitzroy. Keynote speaker, Richard Frankland willspeak about Cultural Safety - an upcoming idea in Australia’s discourse of Indigenous Reconciliation, an idea developed around the need to provide quality care services for people from different ethnicities than the mainstream. Richard’s talk will focus on his involvement with the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency’s “Cultural Safety Project”. He will discuss some of the project’s incentives, such as what is required from government, mainstream organisations and the Aboriginal community to identify and re-create places of cultural safety for Aboriginal children and young people. You are invited to learn more about how cultural strengthening through this framework is the best approach to ensuring Koorie kids have a better future! RSVP by 4 November to ANTaR, 9419 3613; www.antarvictoria.org.au

Council elections
Local Government plays a fundamental role in promoting
reconciliation in Victorian communities. Each new Council must formulate an overarching Strategic Plan in the first six months of its term. This is a crucial opportunity to ensure that your Council commits to real and positive steps towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-indigenous communities. By committing to the actions contained in this statement, councillors will send a powerful message to the electorate: as elected Councillors, they will work to improve opportunities for Aboriginal members of your community. Ask your local government candidates if they are willing to commit to specific actions on reconciliation. Use the Reconciliation
Commitment Statement developed by ANTaR Victoria &
Reconciliation Victoria. Go to the ANTAR website:
www.antarvictoria.org.au and click on 'Statement'.
The official candidates are listed on the Victorian Electoral
Commission: www.vec.vic.gov.au/lgelections.htmlwebsite.
For more information, contact ANTaR, 9419 3616
News from Reconciliation Victoria
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is conducting the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey throughout Victoria from now until March 2009. A broad range of information will be collected from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to understand the connections between various indicators of social, emotional and economic well-being and to explore the
relationships within and between different aspects of their lives. It is a sample survey so only some people will be selected to take part. But when an ABS interviewer calls at your house it is really important that you participate. For more information contact Fiona Shelley, 9615 7510.
Ten Canoes Website Launched.
Following on from the successful 2005 film Ten Canoes, this website celebrates and explores the history, art and cultures of the Yolgnu people in Arnhem land. The site tells the stories of the people using video, narrative, music and image galleries.
Worth a look at: www.12canoes.com.au
Yulkuum-Jerrang: Indigenous Economic Development Conference.
The Koorie Business Network has confirmed the dates for this conference as 27-29 May 2009 and is pleased to invite expressions of interest for entertainment and artistic services and a call for papers and registrations. For more information see the website: www.kbnconference.vic.gov.au
Report shows Closing the Gaphas positive effect on
economy.
Reconciliation Australia has just released this report examining the economic impactof closing the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and other Australians. It shows that GDP would increase by 1% and Government revenue would be up by $4.6 billion dollars if the 17 year gap was closed by 2029. www.reconciliation.org.au/.pdf
Koorie schools closing
One of our members, Jane Tombs, is heavily involved with a unique Aboriginal School in Glenroy that she says “has wonderful staff and needy kids they areSO dedicated to!” Jane exhorts members – and others- to sign a petition to keep this and the other three Victorian koori schools open. For more details and/or a copy of the petition to sign, contact Jane at: , or Joy Sheridan, one of teachers - .
Arts news
Malthouse Theatre Yibiyung presents a play by Dallas Winmar directed by Wesley Enoch - “To have mixed blood we fitted neither here nor there. Life was decided for you,” a story inspired by Dallas’s grandmother torn from her family along with countless other girls like her, told by a cast of Indigenous and non-Indigenous performers speaking for a generation stolen and silenced. Malthouse Theatre, October 30-November 13. “Time to Talk” with hosted by Peter Clarke after the performance on November 11. Bookings: 9685 5111. Ilbijerri Theatre is celebrating the VIPA Awards with a special night at the famous Spiegeltent, hosted by Tammy Anderson
Featuring Kutcha Edwards, Peter Rotumah & other special guests; Thursday 6 November, 6pm - 8.30pm Arts Centre forecourt. Tickets: $10.00 through Ticketmaster: 1300 723 038.
Correction:
In the article about the Lurujarri Trail by Vivienne and Andrew MacCutcheon, the writers would like to correct two points, namely that ThereseRoe (‘gran’) is Paddy Roe’s daughter and that Joeis his grandson. They extend their apologies to the Roe family.
The Future in Bayside
With Council elections looming, on October 21 Bayside Council considered a Strategic Action Plan for 2009-11. This updates and revises Plans that began in 2002.
Included in the proposal, which Council endorsed for community consulation over the next 2 months, are:
· publishing an Indigenous Bayside booklet;
· continuing investigation of the Site of Reconciliation proposal;
· maintaining and promoting the Indigenous Garden (Sandringham)
· holding events in Reconciliation and NAIDOC Weeks;
· acknowledging Boon Wurrung history, culture and in signage, displays, exhibitions, and Council publications
· promoting Bayside libraries’ Indigenous collection;
· including Indigenous representation at Bayside Councillor induction’;
· investigation of forming special relations with an Indigenous community;
· considering targetted Indigenous employment at Bayside Council.
It is also proposed to review – as part of a wider review of committees advising Council – the Indigenous Affairs Advisory Committee’s role and structure, etc.
The booklet has already been funded in the current budget; many other items will only proceed if funding is voted in the coming years. See: www.bayside.vic.gov.au for the plan in full, and consultation process; 9521 6184 for queries.
Ken Blackman, Co-Chair IAAC
Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, 12-30 November
This year the festival includes the following Indigenous content:
'Screen Dreaming -- Indigenous Stories Session', five short films by Indigenous film-makers covering subjects ranging from the 'Yolngu Zorba Chooky Dancers' to Nana's delicious Kangaroo Steww. Watch out for Angie Abdilla's film Wanja, told through the eyes of Auntie Barb and her faithful blue-heeler who watch over the residents of 'The Block' in Redfern as escalating police tension threatens to unravel a community. For more information go to: www.hraff.org.au
Christmas Shopping
The Koorie Night Market is on again, just in time for Christmas shopping! Held in the Northcote Town Hall and courtyard, there are arts and crafts, musical entertainment and plenty of food and drink. 6 – 9:30 pm Wed Nov 26 and Wed Dec !7. Another date to be confirmed. Go to: www.darebin.vic.gov.au
Return of the Sacred Kingfisher Festival
Sat 29 November, 3 – 9:00 pm. Cnr Roberts and Stewart Streeds, Brunswick East. This festival features stage 1 of a two-year project featuring Indigenous and Auslan sign languages. It involves collaboration between Wurundjeri Elder Ian Hunger, the Deaf Indigenous Community, Deaf Victoria, professional artists and CERES.
City of Stonnington Festival: Viva! 2008-10-26Sat 15 November, 11am – 6pm. Music ranges from Indigenous artists to Afro beats. Free activities include face painting, craft workshops, roving performers, and more. Watch out for Stonnington Citizens for Reconciliation, who will have a stall at the festival.
Watch out for: First Australians: An Illustrated History, ed. Rachel Perkins and Marcia Langton withWayne Atkinson, James Boyce, RG Kimber, Steve Kinnane, Noel Loos and Bruce Pascoe. Forthcoming from Melbourne University Publishing, November 2008-10-26
Australasian World Music Expo, international Indigenous, roots and world music. 20 – 23 November, Victorian Arts Centre.