NATIONAL TALK BLACK – 03/04/2025
On todays National Talk Black via NIRS – National Indigenous Radio Service we have:
Noeleen Timbery, La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council Chairperson, talking about the Spears taken from Botany Bay in 1770 and their return home. The La Perouse Aboriginal community celebrates the homecoming of the Gweagal Spears, the resistance of their community and holding strong to their cultural fishing traditions. Mungari, a fishing songline in Dharawal culture, celebrates the long-awaited homecoming of four of the most significant fishing spears in Australian history. Crafted by Gweagal clansmen of Gamay (Botany Bay), stolen by James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour in April 1770, and held in the United Kingdom for 254 years, these spears tell a story of resistance then and now: the story of the Gweagal Ancestors who bravely defended their homeland, and the story of their descendants who fought for many years to have them returned. In March 2023, Trinity College, the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Gujaga Foundation and the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council announced the permanent repatriation of the Gweagal Spears from the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to the La Perouse Aboriginal community. By 2024, the spears had finally arrived back on Dharawal land. Mungari will trace their extraordinary journey and the resistance of many generations that led to their return and the safeguarding and continuation of fishing traditions practiced in the community today. Mungari is a story of fishing, resistance and return, hundreds of years in the making. “After 254 years, you came home – nguradha yanbaya njindigang.” The Chau Chak Wing Museum is proud to present this display during the period the University of Sydney has been entrusted with the temporary care of the Gweagal Spears before their continued journey to Gweagal clan lands and keeping place at Gundal (Kurnell, NSW). You can find out more via the link below!
https://www.sydney.edu.au/…/exhibitions/mungari.html
Marc Peckham, Yandamah Indigenous Corporations Musician/Producer and FRRR Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) grant recipient, talking about Yandamah Indigenous Corporations Ngurra Kurlu: Warlpiri Digital Culture Project. More than 80 community groups across remote, rural and regional Australia are sharing $827,253 in grants thanks to FRRR’s flagship grants program, Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC). The funding will be used by grassroots not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) for a wide range of initiatives that celebrate, strengthen and support their rural communities to be more vibrant, resilient, sustainable places to live. Through this grant, Yandamah Indigenous Corporation is able to Strengthen and preserve Warlpiri culture by recording Elders knowledge and stories in digital content that is accessible, engaging and connects with the next generation. The SRC program is collaboratively supported by donors, ranging from private individuals to larger foundations, who are acknowledged on the FRRR website. If you would like to help, you can donate at www.frrr.org.au/donate. FRRR always accepts applications to this program, which awards funds around four times a year. Local not-for-profit organisations and community groups are encouraged to review the program guidelines and apply. More information about the SRC program is available at www.frrr.org.au/src. To see The full list of grant recipients and their projects, visit the link below!
https://frrr.org.au/blog/2025/03/13/src-r23-recipients/
Dr. Erin Evans, Industry Genomics Network Alliance (InGeNA) Chief Executive Officer, talking about Australian experts and families urge rural parents to screen newborns for deadly silent killer. A monumental breakthrough in newborn health has arrived, as Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is now officially included in Australia’s Newborn Bloodspot Screening (NBS) program. This pivotal change brings hope to countless families, ensuring that babies at risk of this life-threatening inherited blood disorder are identified early, paving the way for immediate care and a brighter future. Sickle Cell Disease is the most widespread inherited blood disorder across the globe, yet for far too long in Australia, many babies have suffered the consequences of late diagnoses. While only 45% of adults living with SCD were born in Australia, an alarming 83% of children with the condition are Australian-born—illustrating a devastating gap in early detection. Without screening at birth, this disorder can remain hidden, only revealing itself in the form of debilitating, life-threatening complications. For rural and remote families, where medical facilities are often hours away, early screening is even more vital. By detecting SCD at birth, this program can help prevent severe complications, lengthy hospital stays, and even fatalities. With over 300,000 newborns screened annually, this initiative has the power to transform outcomes for families across the country.
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