Lajamanu, Northern Territory

Lajamanu is a small town of the Northern Territory in Australia. It is located around 557 kilometres from Katherine and approximately 890 kilometres from Darwin. At the 2006 census, Lajamanu had a population of 669, of which 92 percent are of Aboriginal origin.[1]

Contents

Government

The town is a strongly traditional community, and is governed by the Lajamanu Community Government Council as well as a local tribal council. The Lajamanu Council was formed in 1980, and was the first community government council to be formed in the Northern Territory. On cultural matters, the council defers to the local tribal council, because traditional customs are still practised and generally dominate the thinking of the community.

Language

The majority of Lajamanu residents have Warlpiri as their main heritage language. Lajamanu School was a Warlpiri-English bilingual school from 1982 until 2008[2] when the Northern Government introduced a policy banning Warlpiri language instruction for the first four hours of every school day[3]. This has contributed to a significant drop in attendance at Lajamanu School since 2009[4][5]. It has been reported that young people now speak Light Warlpiri as a first language. Most official business and education is delivered in English.

Geography and climate

The Northern Territory is a dry area. Lajamanu is located close to the centre of Australia, which has a hot climate.

Access

Lajamanu is difficult to access, mainly due to the distance from major cities and towns. Road access is via the Victoria Highway (turning off after 120 kilometres) onto the Buntine Highway for a further 323 kilometres and then 104 to Lajamanu (a dirt but well formed road).

Notable people

Steve Jampijinpa Patrick is an educator and has also been involved in the Milpiri festival and collaborations with Tracks Dance company.[6] In 2008, Patrick co-authored a research paper, Ngurra-kurlu: a way of working with Warlpiri people. In 2010, Warlpiri elders in Lajamanu including Bill Bunter, Sharon Anderson and Martin Johnson participated in an ABC TV documentary Bush Law about the relationship between traditional Warlpiri law and the mainstream Australian justice system.

Contemporary Indigenous Australian artists from the Lajamanu region include Sheila Brown Napaljarri and Peggy Rockman Napaljarri.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Lajamanu (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL703900&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 20 December 2011. 
  2. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20090914/language/chronology.htm
  3. ^ http://www.det.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/15637/CompulsoryEnglishFourHoursEachDay.pdf
  4. ^ Dickson, G. (2010) No Warlpiri, No School? A preliminary look at attendance in Warlpiri schools since introducing the first four hours policy. Ngoonjook: a journal of Australian Indigenous Issues. 35: 97-113.
  5. ^ http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/01/18/remote-nt-education-crisis-lost-in-the-warlpiri-triangle/
  6. ^ http://tracksdance.com.au/html/people_creative_steve.html
  7. ^ Johnson, Vivien (1994). Aboriginal Artists of the Western Desert: A Biographical Dictionary. Roseville East, NSW: Craftsman House. p. 174. 
  8. ^ Birnberg, Margo; Janusz Kreczmanski (2004). Aboriginal Artist Dictionary of Biographies: Australian Western, Central Desert and Kimberley Region. Marleston, South Australia: J.B. Publishing. p. 212. ISBN 1-876622-47-4. 

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