Nine children book’s written by Binjari women in Kriol will be distributed through the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
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The project, run through the Roper Council’s Community Development Program (CDP), is in the spirit of this year’s NAIDOC theme, Our Languages Matter.
Ropper Gulf Council CEO Michael Berto said the project allowed the CDP participants to develop self-confidence through literacy, adding that he was thrilled to see the final drafts of the books.
“The women speak Kriol mostly as a first language, but like the majority of Kriol speakers, they did not learn to read and write the language at school,” Mr Berto said.
“This project has provided an introduction to the way Kriol is written, and the ladies’ confidence with written Kriol has increased as the books took shape.
“I’m extremely proud of what they have achieved, because it is helping to build capacity for their community, and that’s exactly what the Community Development Program is designed to do,” Mr Berto said.
A council spokesman said once the books have been published, ILF will distribute copies to CDP participants and other community members in Binjari, as well as to schools, childcare centres and health services across the Katherine region.
“For the past two years, female CDP participants have been training to use the Kriol spelling system with Australian National University linguist Denise Angelo, and their determined efforts have paid off with the announcement that nine of the children’s books they have written will be distributed through the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF),” a council spokesman said.
“In June, the ILF supported artist and illustrator Julie Haysom to visit the community, about 15 kilometres west of Katherine, and work with the women to create three board books, three picture books and three chapter books.
“The six aspiring authors had additional creative support from fellow participants Karen Manbulloo, Halrisha Hodgson, Daniella Carlton, Natasha Waterloo, Tasiana Douglas, Sylvia Birdum, Rozelle Frith, Sarah Lewis and Marisa Smiler-Cairns, who provided paintings and sketches to illustrate the books,” he said.
The books are:
Board books
- Olkainawan kalawan loli (Lollies of All Different Colours) by Milly Raymond
- Yakai! Beibigel! (Baby Girl! Stop!) by Maureen Hodgson
- Ola kala en namba (Colours and Numbers) by Bernadine Booth
Picture books
- Moli det bigibigi (Molly the Pig) by Karen Manbulloo
- Tudei en longtaim (Now and Then) by Stella Raymond
- Fishing – lenimbat ola biginini (Fishing Know-How – Teaching Children) by Marilyn Frith
Chapter books
- Roki det kenggurru (Rocky the Kangaroo) by Maureen Hodgson
- Hanting gada biliken (Hunting with Billycans) by Maureen Hodgson
- Hanting gada trekta en treila (Hunting with a Tractor and Trailer) by Maureen Hodgson
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