Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association (ACRA) was established in 2002, committed to cultural and language awareness in Awabakal country; since 2008 we have operated under the trading name Miromaa Aboriginal Language & Technology Centre which specialises in the four following areas;
· Reclamation of the Awabakal language; conducting education in preschools, primary schools and high schools and bringing awareness to the importance that Awabakal language has on cultural identity.
·Providing education and non accredited training nationally for the preservation of Indigenous language either in our language and technology training centre or into other Indigenous communities. This education program prepares people for employment opportunities and assists with relief of poverty and improving quality of life.
·Puliima is our biennial National Indigenous Language and Technology forum that engages other Indigenous communities from Australia and overseas.
·Miromaa language and education software which is being utilised to preserve more than 100 languages and 24 hour training that is available to all people who have previously been engaged with our organisation. We continue to support Aboriginal people with obtaining the Miromaa software free of charge.
Indigenous languages are critically endangered in Australia and it is estimated that every two weeks in the world a language disappears with Australian Indigenous languages fast becoming obsolete; the skills and resources of Miromaa Aboriginal Language and Technology Centre are reviving Indigenous languages internationally, working on 38 languages in Victoria, 6 Torres Strait Island languages and with native American’s in North America; due to Miromaa’s diligence in the area of language reclamation, there have been many success stories. Miromaa Aboriginal Language and Technology Centre launched the ‘Our Languages’ website, which is the first National website for Aboriginal languages in Australia and has been created to share and discuss activities revolving around Australia’s traditional Aboriginal languages. The ‘Our Languages’ website is available at www.ourlanguages.net.au.
Aboriginal people in Australia have the oldest living civilisation in the world and since European colonisation Indigenous people have been disconnected from the languages of their country. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, the loss of language means the loss of cultural and personal identity which often brings distress and suffering; it is the focus of Miromaa Aboriginal and Technology Centre to assist with restoring cultural and personal identity to Australia (and the world’s Indigenous population), by reconciling them to their specific language(s), presenting a sense of purpose and belonging to community and country.
Miromaa Aboriginal and Technology Centre supports the following services that assist in Closing the Gap:
