I was with a group of impressive Warlpiri women this week who have recently been told by Politicians that they are not allowed to teach their own children in their own language. They were angry and frustrated. Their culture and rituals are fundamental to them and their language is the vehicle for that. They said to each other and to the rest of us who were there "We ask the kardiya (non-indigneous people) Where is your culture? You got no culture!" It was hard to argue with them. When the only rituals I feel these days are singing Happy Birthday to someone, or reciting the Lord's Prayer at funerals I attend. I wonder what meaning these really have for me. My culture does feel empty and I once again am forced to cringe at government acting against indigenous people to diminish the things that mean the most to them.
How dare we! This and the intervention is what future generations will be saying SORRY for.
2 comments:
Isn't this exactly going against international trends where dialects and full languages are being re-introduced into regional schools such as Welsh being taught and spoken next to English, the regional languages in France are being taught at school and lessons are being delivered in their regional mother tongue / dialect. I just don't get Australia, sometimes, 1 step forwards and 2 backwards... does one language mean one nation? Craziness.
Tell me about it! I'm not even sure that we go one step forwards sometimes!!
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