Jim Wafer - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Jim Wafer
Although song has been recognised as the 'central repository of Aboriginal knowledge', this is th... more Although song has been recognised as the 'central repository of Aboriginal knowledge', this is the first volume to be devoted specifically to the revitalisation of ancestral Indigenous singing practices. These traditions are at severe risk of attrition or loss in many parts of Australia, and the 17 chapters of the present work provide broad coverage-geographically, theoretically and methodologically-of the various strategies that are currently being implemented or proposed to reverse this damage to the Indigenous knowledge base. In some communities the ancestral musical culture is still being transmitted across generations; in others it is partially remembered, and being revitalised with the assistance of heritage recordings and written documentation; but in many parts of Australia, intergenerational transmission has been interrupted, and in these cases, revitalisation depends on research and restoration. This book provides insights that may be helpful for Indigenous people and communities, and the researchers and educators who work with them, across this range of contexts. Cover photograph ulpare-ulpare (Arrernte) 'Perennial Yellowtop' (Senecio magnificus) © Lisa Stefanoff Cover song by M. K. Turner. Transcriptions (text and music) by Myfany Turpin. Kwarre-arle ayenge antyeye-le atyenge-ange tne-me girl-REL 1SG.NOM alongside-LOC 1sg.ACC-CNTR stand-PRS 'The girl who I am is standing with me.' Front cover: an Arrernte women's song received, sung and translated by M. K. Turner ('MK') in 2017. The song conveys two images for MK: a group of girls standing in a line proudly adorned for ceremony; and a girl walking through the grass where ankerte-ankerte 'yellow daisies' and arlatyeye 'white pencil yam flowers' bloom. MK describes this as a song of antethe 'blossom, or small soft feathers' which are used as ceremonial adornment.
In 1985, Catherine Ellis formulated the succinct observation that song is the ‘central repository... more In 1985, Catherine Ellis formulated the succinct observation that song is the ‘central repository of Aboriginal knowledge’ (Ellis 1985:83) – a point that has since been confirmed by numerous others.1 In light of this, it might be expected that there would be a body of literature on strategies for the maintenance and transmission of this crucial component of the Australian Indigenous cultural heritage. Yet the writing is sparse, and the present volume is the first to address itself specifically to the issue of Aboriginal song revitalisation. There are no doubt many reasons for this neglect, the most obvious being the comparatively trivial (in the sense of ‘non-essential’) role played by music in the broader Australian culture. There is little relevant education, even for those working in allied fields, such as Aboriginal studies, musicology, anthropology and linguistics. Only a small number of Australian tertiary institutions teach courses in ethnomusicology, and an even smaller numb...
A teacher at the Willowra School in the Northern Territory describes the challenges faced in impa... more A teacher at the Willowra School in the Northern Territory describes the challenges faced in imparting conventional English-based education to Aboriginal students.
History of Bilingual Education in the Northern Territory, 2017
The article has been published in final, copyedited and typeset form in the book History of bilin... more The article has been published in final, copyedited and typeset form in the book History of bilingual education in the Northern Territory: People, programs and policies, edited by Brian Devlin, Nancy Devlin and Samantha Disbray. Singapore: Springer, 2017. To cite please consult the published version as page numbers do not match. This article may be used for personal, non-commercial purposes, but may not be redistributed. 'Bilingual time' at Willowra: The beginnings of a community-initiated program, 1976-1977.
Indigenous and Minority Placenames: Australian and International Perspectives, Aug 29, 2014
The question of what language or languages was or were spoken in the Upper Hunter region of New S... more The question of what language or languages was or were spoken in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales (NSW) is vexed. The NSW Aboriginal Languages Research and Resource Centre's current draft 'Map of NSW Aboriginal languages' 2 leaves the Upper Hunter blank. In earlier attempts to identify the languages spoken in this region, from the coastal areas occupied by ' Awabakal' and 'Worimi' to the headwaters of the Hunter in the Great Dividing Range, Tindale (1974: 193 and map) filled the space with a language he called 'Geawegal', and the Central Mapping Authority ('CMA') of NSW (1987) and Horton (1996) followed suit. Brayshaw, on the other hand, analyses a number of historical documents that suggest a long-standing connection between speakers of 'Kamilaroi' and the upper Hunter (1986: 38-42), 'as far south as Wollombi Brook' 3 (1986: 41). There seems to be little disagreement that the Kamilaroi occupied the headwaters of the Hunter (Tindale 1974: 194 and map) and the area around Murrurundi, close to the watershed. Further down the Hunter Valley, the literature often depicts the Kamilaroi as intruders. In relation specifically to the Geawegal, Fison and Howitt say that the latter 'were always in dread of war with the Kamilaroi, who intruded down the heads of the Hunter across from Talbragar 4 to the Munmurra waters, 5 and even occasionally made raids as far as Jerry's Plains' 6 (1880: 279). 1 I am indebted to Amanda Lissarrague, John Giacon, David Nash and Stephen Wye for helpful correspondence and conversations pertaining to this article. 2 http://ab-ed.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/bosImg_window.cfm?objectid=03540C9F-F074-1B07-416F6CDE53A110F7> (accessed 6 April 2014). 3 Which joins the Hunter just upstream from Singleton. Nonetheless, Brayshaw's map (1986: 39), probably following Tindale, allocates the Upper Hunter to speakers of Geawegal. 4 The Talbragar River rises in the Warung State Forest (between Murrurundi and Cassilis) and flows into the Macquarie River near Dubbo. (See http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/place_naming/placename_search/ extract?id=TRlpXtsETR, accessed 6 April 2014.) 5 The Munmurra River is a tributary of the Goulburn that rises near Breeza Lookout and flows through Cassilis. 6 Between Denman and Singleton. 7 I shall consider the term in more detail at the appropriate point in this paper. Here, a simplified definition will have to suffice: 'the cultural adoption of a landscape by immigrants to an area'. 8 The material in Fison and Howitt's Appendix G summarises data about the Geawegal that are scattered throughout Howitt's later publication, The Native Tribes of SouthEast Australia (1904). Howitt's 1904 work adds nothing new.
What is Africa? In this paper, we suggest that answers to this question have to be understood in ... more What is Africa? In this paper, we suggest that answers to this question have to be understood in terms of the cultural politics-local, national, and international-of the contexts in which "Africa" is the subject of definition (cf. Ebron 1990). We illustrate this proposition with the case of Brazil. We argue that Brazilian perceptions of Africa have been the product of the interaction between two antithetical movements, one concerned with Brazilian national unity, the other with Brazilian cultural heterogeneity. We sketch the history of these movements and attempt to show how their constructions of Africa, while often intended to combat racism, have in fact contributed to the continuing disempowerment of Black Brazilians. We conclude by suggesting that the premises of the debate about "Africa," "Brazil," and the relationship between them require reconceptualization if this debate is to make any contribution to the cause of justice for Black Brazilians. O...
Description This paper is a historical and linguistic introduction to some of the missionary tran... more Description This paper is a historical and linguistic introduction to some of the missionary translations made by the Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld (1788–1859) into the language (sometimes called'Awabakal') of the Hunter River–Lake Macquarie region of Australia's ...
Although song has been recognised as the 'central repository of Aboriginal knowledge', this is th... more Although song has been recognised as the 'central repository of Aboriginal knowledge', this is the first volume to be devoted specifically to the revitalisation of ancestral Indigenous singing practices. These traditions are at severe risk of attrition or loss in many parts of Australia, and the 17 chapters of the present work provide broad coverage-geographically, theoretically and methodologically-of the various strategies that are currently being implemented or proposed to reverse this damage to the Indigenous knowledge base. In some communities the ancestral musical culture is still being transmitted across generations; in others it is partially remembered, and being revitalised with the assistance of heritage recordings and written documentation; but in many parts of Australia, intergenerational transmission has been interrupted, and in these cases, revitalisation depends on research and restoration. This book provides insights that may be helpful for Indigenous people and communities, and the researchers and educators who work with them, across this range of contexts. Cover photograph ulpare-ulpare (Arrernte) 'Perennial Yellowtop' (Senecio magnificus) © Lisa Stefanoff Cover song by M. K. Turner. Transcriptions (text and music) by Myfany Turpin. Kwarre-arle ayenge antyeye-le atyenge-ange tne-me girl-REL 1SG.NOM alongside-LOC 1sg.ACC-CNTR stand-PRS 'The girl who I am is standing with me.' Front cover: an Arrernte women's song received, sung and translated by M. K. Turner ('MK') in 2017. The song conveys two images for MK: a group of girls standing in a line proudly adorned for ceremony; and a girl walking through the grass where ankerte-ankerte 'yellow daisies' and arlatyeye 'white pencil yam flowers' bloom. MK describes this as a song of antethe 'blossom, or small soft feathers' which are used as ceremonial adornment.
In 1985, Catherine Ellis formulated the succinct observation that song is the ‘central repository... more In 1985, Catherine Ellis formulated the succinct observation that song is the ‘central repository of Aboriginal knowledge’ (Ellis 1985:83) – a point that has since been confirmed by numerous others.1 In light of this, it might be expected that there would be a body of literature on strategies for the maintenance and transmission of this crucial component of the Australian Indigenous cultural heritage. Yet the writing is sparse, and the present volume is the first to address itself specifically to the issue of Aboriginal song revitalisation. There are no doubt many reasons for this neglect, the most obvious being the comparatively trivial (in the sense of ‘non-essential’) role played by music in the broader Australian culture. There is little relevant education, even for those working in allied fields, such as Aboriginal studies, musicology, anthropology and linguistics. Only a small number of Australian tertiary institutions teach courses in ethnomusicology, and an even smaller numb...
A teacher at the Willowra School in the Northern Territory describes the challenges faced in impa... more A teacher at the Willowra School in the Northern Territory describes the challenges faced in imparting conventional English-based education to Aboriginal students.
History of Bilingual Education in the Northern Territory, 2017
The article has been published in final, copyedited and typeset form in the book History of bilin... more The article has been published in final, copyedited and typeset form in the book History of bilingual education in the Northern Territory: People, programs and policies, edited by Brian Devlin, Nancy Devlin and Samantha Disbray. Singapore: Springer, 2017. To cite please consult the published version as page numbers do not match. This article may be used for personal, non-commercial purposes, but may not be redistributed. 'Bilingual time' at Willowra: The beginnings of a community-initiated program, 1976-1977.
Indigenous and Minority Placenames: Australian and International Perspectives, Aug 29, 2014
The question of what language or languages was or were spoken in the Upper Hunter region of New S... more The question of what language or languages was or were spoken in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales (NSW) is vexed. The NSW Aboriginal Languages Research and Resource Centre's current draft 'Map of NSW Aboriginal languages' 2 leaves the Upper Hunter blank. In earlier attempts to identify the languages spoken in this region, from the coastal areas occupied by ' Awabakal' and 'Worimi' to the headwaters of the Hunter in the Great Dividing Range, Tindale (1974: 193 and map) filled the space with a language he called 'Geawegal', and the Central Mapping Authority ('CMA') of NSW (1987) and Horton (1996) followed suit. Brayshaw, on the other hand, analyses a number of historical documents that suggest a long-standing connection between speakers of 'Kamilaroi' and the upper Hunter (1986: 38-42), 'as far south as Wollombi Brook' 3 (1986: 41). There seems to be little disagreement that the Kamilaroi occupied the headwaters of the Hunter (Tindale 1974: 194 and map) and the area around Murrurundi, close to the watershed. Further down the Hunter Valley, the literature often depicts the Kamilaroi as intruders. In relation specifically to the Geawegal, Fison and Howitt say that the latter 'were always in dread of war with the Kamilaroi, who intruded down the heads of the Hunter across from Talbragar 4 to the Munmurra waters, 5 and even occasionally made raids as far as Jerry's Plains' 6 (1880: 279). 1 I am indebted to Amanda Lissarrague, John Giacon, David Nash and Stephen Wye for helpful correspondence and conversations pertaining to this article. 2 http://ab-ed.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/bosImg_window.cfm?objectid=03540C9F-F074-1B07-416F6CDE53A110F7> (accessed 6 April 2014). 3 Which joins the Hunter just upstream from Singleton. Nonetheless, Brayshaw's map (1986: 39), probably following Tindale, allocates the Upper Hunter to speakers of Geawegal. 4 The Talbragar River rises in the Warung State Forest (between Murrurundi and Cassilis) and flows into the Macquarie River near Dubbo. (See http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/place_naming/placename_search/ extract?id=TRlpXtsETR, accessed 6 April 2014.) 5 The Munmurra River is a tributary of the Goulburn that rises near Breeza Lookout and flows through Cassilis. 6 Between Denman and Singleton. 7 I shall consider the term in more detail at the appropriate point in this paper. Here, a simplified definition will have to suffice: 'the cultural adoption of a landscape by immigrants to an area'. 8 The material in Fison and Howitt's Appendix G summarises data about the Geawegal that are scattered throughout Howitt's later publication, The Native Tribes of SouthEast Australia (1904). Howitt's 1904 work adds nothing new.
What is Africa? In this paper, we suggest that answers to this question have to be understood in ... more What is Africa? In this paper, we suggest that answers to this question have to be understood in terms of the cultural politics-local, national, and international-of the contexts in which "Africa" is the subject of definition (cf. Ebron 1990). We illustrate this proposition with the case of Brazil. We argue that Brazilian perceptions of Africa have been the product of the interaction between two antithetical movements, one concerned with Brazilian national unity, the other with Brazilian cultural heterogeneity. We sketch the history of these movements and attempt to show how their constructions of Africa, while often intended to combat racism, have in fact contributed to the continuing disempowerment of Black Brazilians. We conclude by suggesting that the premises of the debate about "Africa," "Brazil," and the relationship between them require reconceptualization if this debate is to make any contribution to the cause of justice for Black Brazilians. O...
Description This paper is a historical and linguistic introduction to some of the missionary tran... more Description This paper is a historical and linguistic introduction to some of the missionary translations made by the Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld (1788–1859) into the language (sometimes called'Awabakal') of the Hunter River–Lake Macquarie region of Australia's ...