Australian Government Pledges $9 Million for Indigenous Languages

By Rich Bowden

Img: Aboriginal dance. Credit: Damian Baker.

The Federal Government has pledged to spend $A9.3 million on programs designed to save over 100 of the country's threatened Indigenous languages.

Arts and Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin told reporters at the announcement of the program yesterday that the money would go on services for translation of Indigenous languages, the promotion of languages in Aboriginal schools and a study to look at the the possibility of establishing a national Indigenous languages centre.

"These languages are... a significant part of Australia's heritage and we must ensure they are protected for the benefit of future generations," Garrett said at the ceremony.

"A focused and coordinated national approach is critical to safeguard indigenous culture and save these unique languages," he added.

Today Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma welcomed the initiative saying preserving the Indigenous languages was a necessary action as they were a an important part of the country's heritage.

“Protecting Indigenous languages is about protecting our futures, our cultures and our lives for future generations,” he said. “I applaud Ministers Garrett and Macklin for this initiative and the clear message it sends about the need to protect this vital connection between Indigenous languages, culture and country."

One hundred and ten of Australia's 145 dialects are at risk of dying out according to a 2005 government report and the focus of the program is on the education of young people who very often have little or no knowledge of their own language.

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Northern Territory Politics Rocked by Defection

By Rich Bowden

Img: NT Legislative Assembly. Credit: Lincolnite

The Northern Territory Labor party is uncertain of holding government this afternoon after the shock resignation of Indigenous Policy Minister, Alison Anderson. Ms Anderson allegedly attended a Cabinet meeting this morning before informing her staff of her decision according to this ABC Darwin report.

Ms Anderson said she had lost confidence in Chief Minister Paul Henderson after he had refused to rebut what she contended was a "racist" article in the weekend's Northern Territory News. Ms Anderson had also been in dispute with her own party over Indigenous Housing policy.

The NT parliament realignment now is on a knife edge with 11 Labor members, 11 Country Liberal members, two independents and Ms Anderson, who has yet to reveal if she will join the Opposition, or sit as an independent. Read more!

News: Leaked Documents Show Government's Deceit on Land Acquisition

An investigative report by the New Indigenous Times has uncovered documents that appear to show federal Government deceit on Indigenous land acquisitions. Quoting leaked documents, the NIT article shows that Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin received advice from her department saying that "...consulting with Aboriginal people over the compulsory acquisition of their land [was inadvisable] because it would be too expensive, tie up too many resources, and was unlikely to get the outcome the government wanted."

The NIT went on to say the minister 'read, agreed and noted' the advice on March 26, just one week before her government endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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Opinion: Where to Now For the Rudd Government's Indigenous Policy?

By Rich Bowden

Img: Sorry. Credit: Spud Murphy/flickr

The release of the recent Productivity Commission's report into the state of the Australian Government's policy on closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians has provoked consternation in Government ranks and brought condemnation from the Australian media.

As this PM report of Thursday 2/7/09 explains, the extensive 700-page report shows there has been little progress - if any at all - in the key issues such as health, education and imprisonment rates.

The Government has gone into damage control with the Prime Minister admitting candidly that all was not well though pointing out that the results of his Government's policy may take some years before real results can be seen.

Despite the damning report, the Productivity Commission's Gary Banks praised the effort of the Rudd Government in tackling Indigenous problem areas: "The most significant thing is that this report is happening at all. It is the first time governments have not only expressed a strong desire to do better but have created a reporting vehicle that will hold them accountable," he said.

"This is an important break with the past. Despite decades of well-intentioned spending programs and policies, we learned very little about what was working and what wasn't."

But is all it seems? The Opposition has said the Prime Minister's mea culpa and offer of an olive branch to the Opposition to put aside ideological differences and work together to find a solution to the crisis is all too familiar.

They contend that such an offer to be part of a working committee on Aboriginal health has been offered before by the Government, only to have the plug pulled from a proposed joint committee.

They accuse the Rudd Government of cynically pretending to be bi-partisan over the issue only for the benefit of the media only to ignore vital Indigenous issues.

So what do you think? Is the Government genuine in its efforts to close the Indigenous gap? Or are critics correct in that its much-vaunted new approach to Indigenous Affairs is falling apart at the seams?

Can the crisis be resolved by the formation of a bi-partisan approach or will Indigenous policy always be thrown on the backburner when times get tough?

Have your say.

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