Juluwarlu: Timeless Tradition meets Digital Media

Micko Woodley and Lorraine Coppin explain the raison d'etre of Juluwarlu. Click here.

Juluwarlu is an Indigenous corporation formed via the Commonwealth Aboriginal Associations Act of 1976. We employ 18 local people on a full-time basis, 15 of whom are Indigenous.

Currently we have a Pundulmurra TAFE lecturer working at our office complex on a full-time basis delivering Certificate III in Multi Media to 9 of our employees.

Juluwarlu preserves the heritage, history and traditions of the Yindjibarndi people. It maintains and sustains the language, traditional law, songs, stories, respect, country, family, galtharra (Skin System), flora and fauna, elders, history and artefacts of the Yindjibarndi people.

Our core business is to collect, store and document knowledge which assists Ngarda to retain and continue traditional Aboriginal practices.

Our organisational objective is to provide a sustainable, professional, institutional structure, which reinforces, engages and allows access to, Ngarda heritage, history and language, effectively empowering Aboriginal people in our cultural, artistic, social, economic, political and environmental pursuits.

Juluwarlu has nine areas of organisational activity including.

Language
Juluwarlu documents Yindjibarndi language via film, oral and written records. Any language is lost if it is not regularly used. Juluwarlu aims to promote the use of our language, because it is a dynamic, living record of our past, present and future.

Environmental Protection
Juluwarlu maps traditional Yindjibarndi country. We accurately record culturally appropriate, significant sites, and link the songs, stories and art associated with them, via public mediums such as the Internet, Interactive DVD's, CD's, and written archives. We then actively lobby for their protection.

Flora and Fauna
Juluwarlu has already published 'Wanggalili' and 'Garrugan'. Both books document Yindjibarndi Indigenous flora and fauna found in the Pilbara, including description, photo, and traditional uses for the plant or animal.

This work is ongoing with our Elders.

Education
Juluwarlu aim to provide Indigenous educational services for all. By publicly preserving, protecting and promoting an accurate knowledge of Australia's Indigenous past, we will not only enhance our own private Indigenous identity, but enrich the lives of the non-Indigenous community members.

Geographical Surveys
Utilising its inherent knowledge of country, Juluwarlu will contract its geographical survey, anthropological and archaeological expertise, to other corporate entities. On the 20th of March 2006, Juluwarlu was approved to become the preferred organisation to conduct all cultural heritage surveys in Yindjibarndi country.

Historical Research and Genealogy
There are many existing photos, documents, genealogy reports, studies and records, that rightly belong to our people.Juluwarlu is in the business of collecting, collating and returning these records, so they are available for all Yindjibarndi people to access. These records are inputted into Mirnuwarni Ganyjagayi (Yindjibarndi for Learning Keeping Knowledge).

Indigenous Knowledge Consulting
Juluwarlu operates a growing Indigenous Knowledge business. Juluwarlu will continue to expand its service utilising its media service combined with our inherent Indigenous knowledge.

Broadcasting and Media Services
Via the stand-alone television licence owned by Juluwarlu, we aim to become the fifth free-to-air, 24 hour television station, available through the Pilbara. We also film local community events, people, their stories, and make programs that are of interest to the local community; we have produced a TV commercial, plus we are contracting with several companies to complete Corporate DVD's.

Special Projects
The NYFL Cultural Centre Development Juluwarlu is in the final stages of completing twelve months of community consultation for the construction of the NYFL Cultural Centre to be built in Roebourne. Part of this process has incorporated the creation of a 3 dimensional graphic design, which is the culmination of the community's vision for the Centre.

Each of the 9 Activity Divisions are allocated tasks, budgets, human resources, timelines and goals. Each division delivers cultural products in various mediums, building on the partnerships developed with Australian institutions.

We are continually seeking support to enhance our work in these areas.

In summary, Juluwarlu is dedicated to the delivery of an authentic, true record of the Yindjibarndi history, and making this available to all, via language, television, documentaries, DVD's, music, photographs, documents, mapping, and computer-based archival knowledge.

Juluwarlu utilises the most modern technology to reflect the lives of our local people.

Purchase Juluwarlu products including Wanggalili - a compendium of Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma plants and Garruragan - Yindjibarndi fauna at this link: Juluwarlu products and purchases. You can also view a film produced by Juluwarlu about their work at this link. Please note that if you want to view this film broadband speed is necessary. It will take about 20 minutes to load on ISDN or other connection speeds: Juluwarlu at work.