Important Nyoongar Language and Culture centre opened

19/4/01
A unique centre to promote and research Nyoongar language and culture has been opened by Indigenous Affairs Minister Alan Carpenter today.
The Nyoongar Language and Culture Centre Keeping Place in Perth will record and transcribe the stories, words and songs of the Nyoongar people.
"It will also make the Nyoongar language accessible to Aboriginal people and record oral stories and traditions so they can be passed down to future generations," Mr Carpenter said.
"Culture and language are an important way for Aboriginal people to gain a strong personal identity.
"The records will highlight the special roles that Nyoongar elders have in the continuation of this important culture.
"The Keeping Place will become an important centre not only for the Nyoongar people but the entire Western Australian community.
"Nyoongar territory covers an area from Jurien Bay to Southern Cross and south between Esperance and Ravensthorpe with 13 dialects."
The centre has also been presented with a valuable collection of artefacts and research from the collection of internationally renowned academic, Professor Leslie Marchant, a visiting professor from the University of Notre Dame.
"Professor Marchant's research over the last 50 years includes information from the vast collection of scientific records gathered by pre-colonial explorers and from colonial times," Mr Carpenter said.
"The collection has been sought by the National Museum in Canberra and other centres in Europe."
Mr Carpenter said the centre would:

• become a resource centre for research that would be of international significance;
• train young Nyoongar students to locate, preserve and make available for research the records describing their language and culture; and
• train students to correctly use the records to make certain that descriptions of the language and culture would be accurate and reliable.