[Wikimediaau-l] Aboriginal languages ...

Sun Aug 3 02:45:02 UTC 2008

Liam

Please forgive my Wikimeida ignorance, lack of familiarity ... I have some interest in these kinds of matters (particular with a North Queensland focus):

1.  I see some wikimedia-AU members are looking for/ and suggesting an Aboriginal language type project for wikimedia-AU (in this UN International Year of languages)?

2.  I see it has been suggested that some language and other expertise, aside from wiki skills and committment, will be necessary .. and, therefore, possible partner/s found to be able to engage i a project of this kind??

[There are Aboriginal langauge groups - as part of an Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies and other's program - within North Queensland who are actively working to record, transmit, and/or revive langauges .. which may also be interested in participating .. Similarly, the Queensland State Library has been actively involved in establishing what they call Knowledge Centres within Aboriginal communities providing computer etc facilities for people to particularly store/use local knowledges (including languages)]

3.  I see that people have ideas and/or may be identifying Aboriginal language communities with whom such project may be usefully undertaken

[There are also Aboriginal langauges and/or creols still spoken in the North Queensland/Cape York areas .. which might also stand to benefit?]

What I don't quite understand, and can't imagine .. is what, exactly, it is that wikimedia-AU may be offering??  

I have been a Wikipedia editor .. and have some familiarity as to the uses to which that particular Wiki are put .. but I don't really understand what it is you/others are actually suggesting/offering .. that might serve, so usefully, to help people record/preserve/use other languages .... 

I guess, from what you're saying, it may not be just another language equivalent to Wikipedia .. within which people might be expected to start creating articles / dictionaries in local languages, also recording ??

It would be greatly appreciated if you were able to point me in the right direction and/or just help me better understand the possibilities and potential of what is being suggested.  It may be that I am able to do a little to faciliate and assist from up this way .. if it is truly practical and useful  

(At present, I believe, people up this way (with Cwlth Natural Resource Management support), who may be using computers to assist record, arrange etc languages .. are using various purpose designed databases, with their own servers & storage, and, for some, internet browser access strcitly restricted to pre-approved account holders ..??)

Again .. I am interest .. but don't really understand/ can't really imagine .. if you/anyone might be able to help/point me in the right direction

With thanks and regards

Bruce White
(Wikipedia user name - bruceanthro)

--- On Sun, 8/3/08, Liam Wyatt <liamwyatt at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Liam Wyatt <liamwyatt at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Wikimediaau-l] Aboriginal languages (reply)
To: "Wikimedia-au" <wikimediaau-l at lists.wikimedia.org>
Date: Sunday, August 3, 2008, 10:22 AM

Speaking of which, there was this article in today's, August 3, Sunday Herald in Sydney (and presumably syndicated in other Fairfax papers):
"Ancient Path to Universal Knowledge" by Sarah Price
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/ancient-path-to-universal-language/2008/08/02/1217097610608.html

I describes a programme by the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation http://www.alnf.org/ to write down what had only been oral language amongst aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory as a way of both (A) cultural preservation and (B) gaining literacy skills.

This might be exactly the kind of other organisation that Angela referred to. Those amongst us with the time and effort to set aside might be able to travel to the NT with the ALNF and participating in some way. Another option would be to simply receive a hard copy when the programme ends and transcribe their results into Wikisource (without necessarily participating in the programme itself). 
The article does not mention the internet or any technical aspect but I don't believe this is any barrier. 

As I said In a previous post, I don't personally believe that even with institutional support (such as ALNF might be able to provide) that this justifies the creation of a wikiPedia edition for that particular language due to the small population size and lack of literacy in the first place (let alone internet access and learning how to use wikis). Rather, this could justify the creation of a wikiSource/wikiQuote for that language as the transcription of oral history matches these projects nicely (and we can do all the technical work for them). 

Does anyone thinks this is a possible "first project" for wikimedia-AU ? 

The final paragraph of the article gives us the contact:

"The foundation is hosting a celebrity chef fund-raising dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney on September 20.
You can email alnf at bigpond.net.au for tickets to the dinner."

Best, 
-Liam

www.wikipediaweekly.org
Skype - Wittylama
Wikipedia - [[User:Witty lama]]

On 31/07/2008, at 8:39 PM, Angela wrote:

On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 11:16 AM, Gnangarra <gnangarra at gmail.com> wrote:

The first question is do we have anyone with the language skills, the wiki
skills and the time to dedicate to getting an aboriginal language(any one of
them) Wikipedia up and successful.

Literally we can could do more harm to the language, culture and WMAU
through ignorance and misspent good intentions.

We have people with the wiki skills and for the language skills, we
might do better to parter with another organization that does have
those skills. Preferably one with experience so that we can avoid the
potential harm you mentioned. I expect there are grants available for
this sort of work which is definitely something the chapter should
look into.

Angela

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