Bininj Kunwok Regional Language Centre — kunwok dja mankarre kadberre—our language, our culture (original) (raw)
Welcome to the website of the Bininj Kunwok Regional Language & Culture Centre
BKRLCC Ltd supports the maintenance, and were possible, the revival of Indigenous Australian languages of Kakadu National Park, western Arnhem Land and central Arnhem Land. We work in Kakadu National Park, Gunbalanya, Maningrida, Warruwi and other nearby communities and homeland centres/outstations. We are the only regional organisation that focuses solely on cultural resource management which involves a unified view of cultural and environmental resource management (culture and country). We support regional organisations with their cultural resource management needs including various local Indigenous corporations, Indigenous Protected Area groups, Indigenous land managers, schools, local government, Indigenous health organisations, arts and culture organisations, Kakadu National Park, art galleries and museums, academic researchers and local Indigenous businesses. We also support an Indigenous representative advisory group— Mankarre Karrinahnan Advisory Council— that seeks to protect our Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) from exploitation and unethical use.
We aim to raise the prestige of the Indigenous languages of our region to ensure that parents will continue to speak these languages to their children. For Indigenous people who did not have an opportunity to learn their heritage language as children, we offer courses to help them learn their languages. We make resources in and about our languages— dictionaries, phrase books, websites, videos, cultural site surveys, maps, collaboration with environmental scientists, support for cultural aspects of mine rehabilitation, protection and documentation of djang (sacred sites), rock art documentation, cultural documentation of plants and animals, kinship materials, documentation and promotion of traditional and contemporary music, children's readers and so much more. We also offer a six week online course in Bininj Kunwok which runs twice a year and we have online intercultural competency courses for new residents of Kakadu and Arnhem Land.
We manage a community owned cultural archive of more than 50,000 items including texts, audio files, videos, maps, site surveys, literature, traditional music, art documentation, academic publications and photographs. We are at the forefront of developing Indigenous controlled archives that prioritise community ownership and access, especially for Indigenous people living in remote areas of Arnhem Land.
Our work is directed by a reference group of First Nations language workers together with our board. Our team also includes highly experienced and qualified linguists, anthropologist, interpreters, translators, archivists, information technology specialist, resource production manager, ICIP legal specialists and business manager.
From Our Chairperson, Jill Nganjmirra
Kunred dja Kunwok. Manbu kunred kabeneraworren kunwok, bu kabenedjarrkyo kore kubolkwern rowk. Wanjh karrinahna kunred dja kunwok kadberre. Yuwn bu karriwarrewon kunred dja kunwok, makka wanjh ngad kadberre.
Country and language. Country and language both live together everywhere. And we should look after our country and our language. We shouldn’t mess up our country and language – these belong to us.
Kunred kayime, “njalekenh kandiwarrewon? Dja kandinahna kunmak.” Yiman mak kunwok kahyime “kandidjalkarrmen, yuwn bu kandibengmidjdan dja ngurrimang manbuyika kunwok”. “Ngaye kunwok dja kunred, wanjh ngad nganedjarrkni kore kubolkkudji”.
The land speaks to us and says, “why are you messing me up? You should look after me properly!” In the same way, our language is saying to us, “hold onto me, don’t forget me and speak some other language!” “We are your language and your country, and we both live here one place”
- Ngalwakadj Jill Nganjmirra, Chairperson, Bininj Kunwok Regional Language & Culture Centre
Four of our six current directors of BKRLCC (L>R):
Julie Narndal, Seraine Namundja, Jill Nganjmirra and Jeanette Burrunali
We will be offering a six week online Bininj Kunwok course in March 2024. Enrolments start in February 2024. For further details contact adjuh AT bininjkunwok.org.au