SiMERRR Yolŋu consultants consider Maths in Aboriginal Communities
Ten Yolngu consultants came in to Darwin from Arnhemland and met in the School of Australian Indigenous Knowledge Systems over two days to discuss maths and maths education in their communities. They were
- Dhäŋgal Gurruwiwi, consultant, Gunyaŋara community
- Frank Djirrimbilpilwuy, Chairperson, Milingimbi Council
- Gapany, teacher, Shepherdson College, Galiwin'ku with her grandson
- Gothadjaka, elder, Gäwa homeland centre, Elcho Island
- Gurraŋgurraŋ, teacher, Gäwa homeland centre
- Maratja Dhamarrandji, translator and interpreter, Galiwin'ku
- Margaret Nyuŋunyuŋu, language worker, Milingimbi
- Rose Lanybalanyba, Aboriginal Interpreter Service, Darwin
- Waymamba Gaykamaŋu – lecturer, Yolŋu studies, CDU
- Wulumdhuna Yunupingu, teacher, Djurrunalpi homeland centre.
Refer to Consultant Biographies below
The Balanda who were at the workshop were:
- John Greatorex, coordinator Yolngu Studies, school of Austrlain Indigenous Knowledge systems, CDU.
- Michael Christie, School of Education, SiMERR diversity coordinator, CDU
- Anthea Nicholls, CDU PhD candidate, Ramingining
- Kathy McMahon, CDU PhD candidate working at Galiwin’ku
- Christian Clark, PhD candidate, University of Melbourne
- Bryce King, Internetworking communities research, CDU
This website:
The Yolŋu Aboriginal Consultants Initiative is searching for a variety of ways in which we can represent workshop outcomes.
This website has been prepared as part of the report on the workshop for the funding bodies, the Yolŋu community, and the outside world.
Under the other tabs on this site you will find:
- What We Did – a short summary of the workshop process
- What Emerged – a detailed account of what happened
- Key Findings – a summary of the main outcomes upon which the consultants agreed
- Key Concepts – a list of key words in Yol\u matha and English which emerged as part of the discussion.
- Resources – including
a map, some videos, some transcriptions of Yol\u comments, participants’ reflections
on the workshop, and links to other sites
The Yolŋu Aboriginal Consultants Initiative
The Yolŋu in this workshop and other Yolŋu consultants have been working together on various consultancy projects as part of the Yolŋu Aboriginal Consultants Initiative.
What is SiMERR?
SiMERR is The National Centre of Science,
Information and Communication Technology,
and Mathematics Education
for Rural and Regional Australia. Its centre is at the University of New England. CDU is the SiMERR hub for the NT. http://simerr.une.edu.au/
Yolŋu Matha
Most of the workshop was conducted in the various Yolŋu languages
(matha) which belong to the consultants. Yolŋu languages have special
characters. We have only used the special character ŋ on this website.
The other characters have been reduced to the nearest English
equivalent.
Feedback on this website and our work is welcome. Please see the Resources page.
Yolŋu consultant biographies
Dhaŋgal Gurruwiwi lives at Galuru, near Nhulunbuy with her family. She is a highly skilled interpreter/translator often working on a variety of consultancies for a range of organisations. Dhaŋgal is very concerned about young Yolŋu living taking up many of the destructive influences of white society. She works very hard to forge ways that the young members of her families can be productively employed in her brother’s yidaki business.
Frank Djirrimbilpilwuy is the acting Chairperson of the Milingimbi Council. He has a long history of active involvement in performance, broadcasting and community controlled radio, journalism and multimedia. Frank has a personal interest in several programs using ICT to keep Yolŋu culture and traditional practices strong.
Dorothy Gapany lives at Galiwin’ku, Elcho Island. She taught at Shepherdson College for 15 years where she occupied the Executive Teacher in charge of Primary.
Kathy Guthadjaka is a Gatjirrk Warramiri woman living at Gawa. She worked as a teacher for over 40 years at Shepherdson College, and recently with her families established an independent school at Gawa. Gotha is determined, and is succeeding in providing the best education possible for the children at Gawa.
Meredith Gurraŋgurraŋ is an Assistant teacher and Administrator of Gawa School. She is highly committed teacher who goes beyond the call of duty to give the students under her care an excellent education, and together with Gawa community members is working towards a sustainable future for Gawa.
Maratja Dhamarrandji lives at Galiwin’ku where he has been the chief bible translator for over ten years. He regularly works as a bicultural consultant delivering cross-cultural training and translating and interpreting. Maratja is committed and determined to improve the educational outcomes for Yolŋu children.
Margaret Nyuŋunyuŋu is a Gamalaŋga woman who lives at Miliŋinbi. She is currently studying linguistics at BIITE, and with these skills Nyuŋunyuŋu is actively working with her family on a project to record and document the Yan-nhaŋu language.
Rose Lanybalanyba is one of the most experienced legal and medical interpreter and translators living in Darwin. She interprets in a several Yolŋu and non-Yolŋu languages. Rose is concerned and actively works to improve the direct communication between government workers, lawyers, and Yolŋu communities.
Waymamba Gaykamaŋu is the senior lecturer in the Yolŋu Studies program at Charles Darwin University. Along with lecturing responsibilities Waymamba is actively engaged in resource development and research.
Jenny Wulumdhuna Yunupiŋu is the Assistant Teacher of Charge of the Djurranalpi School where she has taught for 20 years. Wulumdhuna is totally committed to her work, in fact teaching is her life. She has a major interest in ensuring the children in her care learn to be not just literacy and numeracy but also to be respectful, responsive and confident members of their community.
