Our organisation is based in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. We are an Aboriginal not for profit organisation working in the field of Indigenous Language Maintenance, we have been helping to reclaim the Awabakal language of where we live and we also have developed specific computer software to aid us in this activity. We have found it extremely difficult to find user friendly computer software that is specific to language work, everything that we have come across has been aimed at the linguists and academics so this is where we decided to develop our own, its called Miromaa and you can read all about it here. Hence the name of this website, in the Awabakal language Miromaa means "saved".
Over the past years we have also found that there is no specific websites, training or support networks for Indigenous Language Workers in how we can better use Technology in our endeavours, as such we are also doing what ever we can at National level to aid others in harnessing the power of technology to help. We have made Miromaa available for other Language Centres to use, we have held Language/Technology training classes around the country, so far we have held these in Queensland and Victoria and now we are planning on holding these in Newcastle. We also recently held the first ever Puliima National Indigenous Languages and Information Communication Technology Forum in April this year (2007) in Newcastle, we feel that this was a great success and hope it provides the drive needed for others to start adapting to technology and how it can place an ever increasing part in language maintenance. From what we have gathered everyone is switching on.
Today, ACRA's main focus is our work with our traditional languages for which we are funded by the Federal Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) under the Maintenance for Indigenous Languages Research program.
We involve ourself in two main activities of language they are:
1. Awabakal Language Reclamation and Revitilisation 2. Development and training of Computer tools to aid Aboriginal Language work.
Our goal is to become Australia's leading Aboriginal Organisation developing empowering our people through technology to be successful in preserving and disseminating Australia's original languages.
So this is where we are at now, having this specific web site which we hope can be of benefit to all people interested in Languages and Technology.
Please feel free to contact us at anytime about this site. You can contact us via the contact us page found on this site.
Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association Incorporated
13-15 Watt St Newcastle, NSW, Australia 2300
Postal Address - as above
P |
61 02 4927 8222
F |
61 02 4925 2185
E |
contact at miromaa dot com dot au
W|
www.acra.org.au or www.miromaa.com.au
Please change the at and the dot to @ and . (this helps eliminate SPAM)
