Abstract
For a short period in the mid 1970s a conjunction of exceptional circumstances allowed the community of Wirliyajarrayi.
We thank Inge Kral, Samantha Disbray and Nancy Devlin for encouraging us to contribute to this volume. We are also grateful to Samantha for providing us with some key archival documents. When we refer to ourselves as individuals in the following text, we use the abbreviations “PVM” and “JW”.
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Notes
- 1.
Permission for the establishment of schools on pastoral leases had to be negotiated with the lessees and was not always forthcoming. Many pastoralists shared the view of a neighbouring station manager, who told us apropos of his Aboriginal stockmen that ‘the only good station black is an uneducated one’.
- 2.
As Martin Jampijinpa’s journey (referred to above) indicates, his involvement in this growing activist network had significant implications for Willowra.
- 3.
We continued to work with and for Willowra people well after that time. We were co-authors of the documentation submitted under the Northern Territory Land Rights (1976) Act for four land claims that involved Willowra people: Willowra (1980); Kaytej-Warlpiri (1981); Mount Barkly (1983); and Yurrkuru (Brookes Soak) (1991). As an anthropologist, PVM has continued her work with Willowra people to the present day.
- 4.
Recently Sue Napangardi told PVM that Sammy Johnson was Ken Hale’s ‘adopted son’ through their work together on kurdiji initiation rites and other ceremonies such as ngajakula and jardiwanpa. Sue first met Ken Hale when he acted as interpreter on the Willowra land claim. She recalled, ‘I could hear his voice before I saw him, and I thought, ‘Who is this person talking high Warlpiri?’.
- 5.
Sue Napangardi Martin to PVM, Alekarenge 2nd March 2015. The story Karrinyarra was actually told by Nancy Nungarrayi.
- 6.
All the signatories (listed in our introduction) are now deceased, but their descendents continued to have a lengthy relationship with the school. George Jukadai’s daughter Aileen Long trained as a teacher and worked for a long time at Willowra School, and Jimmy Jungarrayi’s daughter Maisie still teaches there.
- 7.
Sue Napangardi and Grant Jangala.
- 8.
Mary Laughren and Lothar Jagst.
- 9.
Sue Napangardi Martin to PVM, Alekarenge 2nd March 2015.
- 10.
JW had written to the Department in October of that year, requesting a half day program (as recommended by O’Grady and Hale (1975) in their 1974 report on bilingual programs in the NT), for the purpose of systematising the initial literacy program, training staff and further developing the Warlpiri curriculum.
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Archival correspondence
Eedle, J. (1976). Letter to Stumpy Martin dated 12th August 1976.
Laughren, M. (1976). Report on visit to Willowra May 31-June 4. [Unpublished manuscript headed ‘Yuendumu, 7th. June 1976’].
Raff, D. (1976a.) Letter to Willowra Council dated 12th May 1976.
Raff, D. (1976b). Report on the feasibility of commencing a bilingual programme at Willowra School. [Report to ‘The Director, Department of Education, Darwin, 13th August 1976’. Unpublished manuscript].
Wafer, J. (1977). Letter to Mr. E. Watter, Regional P.E.A., Department of Education, Alice Springs, dated 23rd October, 1977.
Willowra Council. (1976). Request for a study into the feasibility of a bilingual programme at Willowra School. [Unpublished typescript letter to the Northern Territory Division of the Commonwealth Department of Education, dated ‘28.4.1976.’ and signed by Long Mick, Jimmy Jungarai, Johnny Martin, George Jukadai and Stumpy Martin. Original held in Northern Territory Archives, Education Department, 74/19, folio 3. McGill (1993: 121) erroneously dates the letter ‘28th June 1976’].
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Vaarzon-Morel, P., Wafer, J. (2017). ‘Bilingual Time’ at Willowra: The Beginnings of a Community-Initiated Program, 1976–1977. In: Devlin, B., Disbray, S., Devlin, N. (eds) History of Bilingual Education in the Northern Territory. Language Policy, vol 12. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2078-0_4
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