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Kia, noonakort moornawooling kidja Wedjela. Gnuny koort quappa noonokoort yeye kooling ni Nyungar wangka. Nyungar, Wongi, Yamatji, Koori, Murri, Nunga, Pallawah or Wyba at research. Gnulla wangka, nitcha boorjar Nyungar, kura, yeye kidja boorda. Bulla moornawooling kaarta wangka nitch, unna.In this paper I shall be outlining a set of concepts and notions that I feel would be useful for Indigenous and non Indigenous researchers in higher education to consider when working with Aboriginal and Islander matters. Some of the principles I feel would be useful for such an exercise would include critically deconstructing and reconstructing terms and notions that have been applied to Nyungar,Wongi, Yamatji, Koori, Murri, Nunga, Pallawah or Wyba under the more commonly used term of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Collard and Palmer 1991, Dodson 1994). The paper also suggests ways to use and reflect Indigenous ways of developing, theories attitudes, values beliefs and ways that reflect us as active subjects of research. We also suggest some notions of how to use these ideas as starting points for implementing and authorising research into our families and communities.Hello, all you black and white people. My heart is glad that you all now come and listen to this Nyungar speak about Aborigines and research. I speak on this land which is Nyungar from the past, to the present and into the future. All blacks think this is so, isn't.
Nyungar country or lands lies in the south-western corner of Australia. It extends eastward approximately half way to Esperance to the east, moving in an arc to the north-west close to the small wheat-belt town of Nyoongah and west-north-west towards Coorow across to the west coast of Western Australia. These are the general boundaries of the country where Nyungar regional affiliation is located.
A number of different language variations occur amongst the Nyungars of the south-west of Western Australia (Douglas 1976). There are even variations in the spelling of the word which include Nyungar, Noongar, Nyoongar or Noongah. This variation reflects both regional dialect differences as well as an attempt by regional groups to retain in a modern Australian society a sense of independence and difference within.
Nyungar, like other Indigenous societies be they Koori, Murri or Wongi, are geopolitical. This notion conceives that the geographic location is the major determinant of socialisation, language, political identity, thought and activities (Collard and Palmer 1991, Howard 1982). According to Tindale (1974), in Western Australia there may have been as many as 15 different Nyungar regional geopolitical societies and across Australia as many as 500 Indigenous societies.
In the South-West today as in kura or the past, Nyungar elders play a role as custodians of special knowledge which is to be passed on to young people. Today this can be continued through inter - generational interaction using oral and written discourses. This in turn would record and perpetuate the need to use Nyungar language, values, attitudes and beliefs as a basis for research by and among Nyungars. As each generation passes on, it is then our 'duty' as the next generation of Nyungars, Murri or Kooris to take on these responsibilities. These include keeping harmony with social protocols in our worlds by ensuring that each successive generation of regional Nyungar, Koori or Murri descendants are brought up to understand and take their responsibilities and place as custodians of such knowledges.
In contemporary Nyungar societies of south Western Australia, these concepts are still evidenced. Nyungar gerontocracies or elders are still acknowledged as the custodians of knowledge and wisdom and are responsible for the perpetuation through ongoing clarification of Nyungar knowledges and systems (Bennell 1991). Brown also supports this notion and suggests, that one must understand the way Nyungar people construct reality (Irriluma-Brown 1988: 106-113, Sabbioni, J. 1993).
I will briefly discuss the three integrated factors which, as I understand, encapsulate Nyungar ideology and praxis. These include:
More specifically my homeland affiliations are in the central south/west town of Brookton and Fremantle or what we Nyungars refer to as our Karlkarning or home fire (Bennell 1991 personal communication). Knowledge of gnular boodjar or our land has been passed on by my elders. Through the process of urbanisation, Whadjuck and Balardong Nyungar relations live in the metropolitan area of Perth, Fremantle and the greater south west. Us Nyungar descendants would say "Nitcha gnarla ngoojar Whudjuck kidja Balardong Nyungar boodjar, unna", or in Wedjela, this is our relations and our ground, isn't it!
As already stated my extended family are the Whadjuck and Balardong Nyungars. Other neighbouring Nyungar family societies and extended family groups include Juat, Binjarb, Njakinjaki and Wilman Nyungars. After 1829 the permanent settlement of the Wedjelas in Nyungar boodjar or lands resulted in extended Nyungar families suffering much change as well as providing much influence amongst Wedjelas. Balardong and Whadjuck family values, beliefs, knowledge and responsibilities are still acknowledged and perpetuated by contemporary Whadjuck and Balardong Nyungars (Bennell,1991,v). However, due to the imposed Wedjela social structures, traditional Whadjuck and Balardong families are now combined with Wedjela, Yabaru (northern), Meenang (southern) and Mornang (eastern) 'Aboriginal' family networks be they Wongi or Yamatji whilst still maintaining a core of Nyungar values, beliefs and knowledges (Collard, 1991; Personal communication, Bennell, 1991). After all Ngulla Nyungar yeye, unna or All Nyungars now, aren't we ?
The language spoken by my people is Whadjuck and Balardong Nyungar with various specific local Nyungar dialects. Brookton or Karlkarniny, the home fire, according to Douglas (1976), is an area central to the dialect of all Nyungars today. Other affiliated neighbouring languages include the Duat, Binjarb, Njakinjaki and Wilman Nyungars. All these related Nyungar language groups share common epistemological and ideological knowledge traits. These traits include the creation of phenomena that gave Nyungars land or boodjar, our language or wangka and the religious creation phenomenon of the "Waakal". "Waakal" created the shape of the land, created the people and gave foundation to Nyungar meaning of life. According to Tom Bennell (1991) "Waakal", "Thas a Nyungar story many years ago".
Researchers must encourage participation, input, collaboration, debate, criticism, ownership, accessibility and acceptance by Nyungars, Wongis, Yamatjis, Kooris, Murris, Nungas, Pallawahs or Wybas who are involved in family, regional or community research matters. I believe that this approach contrasts with much of past research which has been based upon homogeneity of Aboriginality, exclusion, exploitation, betrayed confidentiality. Such research has misrepresented Aboriginals per se and Nyungars, Wongis, Yamatjis, Kooris, Murris, Nungas, Pallawahs or Wybas as specific regional terms for groups (West Australian Feb 6th 1989).
In order to carry out Nyungar research it is important to consider an alternative approach to that of mainstream social scientific research work. Nyungars need to control Nyungar knowledge as mainstream research methods in the past have been inappropriate in that Nyungars have not controlled past research or had ownership of the publication of such materials.
For research to be useful for Nyungars then researchers need to identify research topics and methods that are consistent with and support Nyungar knowledge, control and ownership of research materials. To achieve this outcome researchers would need to base their research on dialogue and collaboration which would encourage input and ownership of the research under the supervision of Nyungar, Wongi, Yamatji, Koori, Murri, Nunga, Pallawah or Wyba who are involved in family, regional or community research matters. (Choo, 1991; Cowley & Cruise, 1992; National Health Strategy, 1989).
As these writers suggest Nyungar, Wongi, Yamatji, Koori, Murri, Nunga, Pallawah, Wyba and Wedjela researchers ought to keep in mind the following principles:
The questions related to this style of research need to be posed in the context of ongoing dialogical processes, which encourage Nyungars to ask as many questions as they have been asked and to suggest questions, ideas or concepts that they feel might assist in achieving their research outcome. It should be obvious that different research methodologies and techniques will be dependant on the information sought from the Nyungar participants. Researcher should use a range of data gathering techniques such as a literature review, record on tape or video oral testimonies that can be compared, evaluated and used to develop the research methodology and materials. For example, a great deal of written information may be located in literature of one form or another already developed in other regional studies by Nyungar, Wongi, Yamatji, Koori, Murri, Nunga, Pallawah, Wybas or Wedjelas, who are, or have been, involved in family, regional or community research. In the past however, the written discourse has not been used very well by Nyungars to any great degree. Therefore such written data will need to be bought to the attention of the research group for review and criticism (Collard 1994, Bennell 1991, Davis 1991, Huggins & Huggins 1994, Ward 1988).
Tape recording is an important technique used to gather oral history. These oral histories provide a personal view on issues, which can be collected from a group or individual.
By using the two research techniques the researcher can identify common themes, questions and responses from Nyungar participants, noting conflicting, contradictory and consistent as well as absent or inconsistent information in both Nyungar and non Nyungar published and unpublished interpretations of the issues being researched.
Throughout this process researchers will need to be using Nyungar epistemology as a basis of this style of research. On going clarification of themes, ideas and information is possible through seeking advice from Nyungars on oral and written records relevant to the research. Using this research approach would emphasis Nyungar ways and in particular, our ownership of research outcomes.
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| Author: Leonard M Collard, Research Coordinator Kurongkul Katitijin, School of Indigenous Australian Studies Edith Cowan University, Mt Lawley WA 6050 Ph: (09) 370 6314 Fax: (09) 370 2910 Please cite as: Collard, L. M. (1996). Research and development in Kurongkul Katitijin. Different Approaches: Theory and Practice in Higher Education. Proceedings HERDSA Conference 1996. Perth, Western Australia, 8-12 July. http://www.herdsa.org.au/confs/1996/collard.html |