Page 1504 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 9 May 2017
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We need more money to go to foreign aid so that people do not end up in situations where they feel they have no alternative.
The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network are working for an independent Australian foreign policy, a cessation of our current disastrous wars and diverting greater resources from war and its preparation to much needed social services: health, housing, climate change, education, NDIS, domestic violence mitigation, child care, Indigenous wellbeing and other urgent social needs.
As I have a second left, I will also comment that the recent changes in American policy, which are going to mean that there will no longer be funding for much planned parenthood, is one of the worst steps in the wrong direction that we have seen in the past few months.
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
MR MILLIGAN (Yerrabi) (5.50): Recently I was privileged to receive a guided tour of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. The institute is situated near the National Museum of Australia and is a world famous institute for research into Indigenous matters, as well as housing an amazing collection of artefacts, including film, photographs and printed materials.
AIATSIS commenced in 1961 with a conference, attended predominantly by white male academics, which sought to record the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures before they disappeared for good. An act of parliament in 1964 by Sir Robert Menzies established the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. It was interesting to see that from such humble non-Indigenous beginnings the institute has flourished and continues to grow under the current leadership of
Craig Ritchie, the CEO. It now houses an impressive collection of artefacts, including 13,500 manuscripts, 130,000 items of published materials, including 3,000 rare books, and 6.5 million feet of film.
We were given a tour through the institute by John Paul Janke, the institute’s communications and engagements officer. John was passionate and knowledgeable about the collections and was able to relay many interesting stories in relation to the many artefacts the institute houses. A highlight of this tour was viewing one of the rare books from 1801, which includes the only recorded transcript of a letter written by Bennelong, a Wangal man from the south shore of the Parramatta River, to Governor Phillip in 1796.
One of the key functions of the institute, both originally and continuing, is to preserve Indigenous cultures and heritage, which includes the collection and the publication of Indigenous dictionaries.
During our visit we heard from Dr Michael Walsh, senior research fellow with the institute’s centre for languages. Michael shared with us an in-depth look at how language was revitalised, using both past and current sources. The process for each
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