This season of SNACK has been produced by the Empaur, as part of the COTA Queensland Home Care Workforce Support Program which received grant funding from the Australian Government.
EmPauR is a Torres Strait Islander-owned business dedicated to fostering cultural understanding and empowerment within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Our mission is to bridge cultural divides, promote mutual respect, and create pathways for authentic engagement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals and organisations. Through comprehensive cultural awareness training, meaningful dialogue facilitation, and the honouring of Indigenous Elders, EmPauR serves as a guide for cultural resilience and empowerment, preserving and celebrating the rich heritage of Australia’s First Nations peoples.
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EmPaur would like to advise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners that the following podcast may mention names of people who have gone before us into the stars and the dreaming. Empower acknowledges the Gimli wallarah in dingy people whose traditional lands this podcast has been recorded on. We pay our respects to the ongoing cultural connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to hold with the land, sea and wind miam sail Napa Welcome to our Torres Strait series podcast where we share information about Torres Strait Island cultural protocols through conversations. In today’s episode exploring language and identity, we dive into the tapestry of languages spoken in both the eastern and western regions of the Torres Strait Islands. These languages are not just a means of communication, but a vital threads that weave together the cultural identity of the elders and families in these regions. Barlow Reggie Powell will yarn with Arab Island elder uncle boy Pincio, and barter Island abala. Jarrell Bailey to unravel the intricate web of languages and discover how they foster a deeper appreciation for our linguistic heritage.
01:39
For this episode, we take a closer look at diverse language spoken in the Torres Strait region, especially from your part of the region, the eastern part of Torres Strait, we can also get you to talk about crucial and the importance of your language such as C also your identity, you know, and there’s many ways that your language can be taught or raise awareness through people or wider community that is not have not from yoke your area. And also, how can it sort of encourage the great the wider community on how to appreciate or, you know, for us to understand your your linguistic heritage.
02:22
So we understand and I’m from the history and Torres Strait, and our language is Mirror Mirror. And I suppose in order to educate people from outside of our language boundaries, the process we need to use is elders must be contacted at a very upset one in terms of permission, permission and rights, to speak our language and to ensure the language are used correctly around the issue of discussion in terms of practicing the language and share the knowledge around language must take into consideration the same things that’s taboo we can talk about and something we can talk about. The other part is if the language will play a very big part in terms of healing, and getting the message across German business that only men can discuss any language in depth around the issue of men business, only a woman can discuss the similar process woman business around language. So in terms of education, in spite of we can teach people outside of our language boundaries, that language but correctly, it has to be used by men, for men, business woman, for a woman business language has to be respected the way it’s used. So in order to translate language, the elders advice to even myself was always not only to talk and explain and using the language, but it has to practice in action. Also, that will confirm to us that you understand the language in terms of why you practice your key or the way you come and associated with us or even providing care for our people. So the action must be in full flight to ensure that we understand you understand our language, well
04:12
culture is part of our way of life. So as tall Strait Islander we unique to our language. And when we carry the words we speak everyday, so I think it’s important that everyone trained into a base word cultural words, or even undertaking or it’s part of the cultural awareness training. Awarding oh, what we speak it is very important because it makes us who we are as a tonal straight and Aboriginal people, web
04:47
of language and also fostering linguistic cultural language appreciation. I know you said a few things around example of diverse language that is there anything you We’re gonna add to it especially on guide on, you know for the broader community to take and respect language in a diverse setting, you know coming from a trusted elder, and how can we ensure that our voices are heard and valued for in such system Ah,
05:20
so, as we know, Torres Strait, even though we are small, small numbers and size of the geographical area, we diverse in I suppose five section this different language to different parts of Torres Strait, but the common language we use it’s Creole. So, most of us in which we seems to communicate across all the different language groups Creole, we use Creole most of the time now, and then we speak different language with a different group as part of conversation. The reason why we go down that path and using Creole instead of Marissa Mayer talks about Colorado language, it’s taboo in a sense of communication. And it’s a law that we need permission to do that. But in most cases, in terms of care, we’re not old. So that’s why we’re using creo. But at a very upset we were advised from our forefathers to say that we must not write we must not exploit we must not write our language, they save our language from writing it down because of misuse and misinterpretation. So only the we use Creole because Creole is English stuff was broken down, that we can break it down anyway and which way we like because it’s not our language. So the diverse language is very respected throughout the Torres Strait, only the group from that island or that division or that tarnished a coach, they taught language. Well
06:50
I speak three language so I speak color color. Yeah. And in Standard English, most people don’t really stray the language which speak is Creole, which is used constantly around Torres Strait stuff different dialects, most speak different language in four groups or Torres Strait, I highly recommend clearing to be the most outstanding language to be taught besides our forecast languages.
07:18
Topic number three, around exploring rich tradition.
07:23
So as an elder from the eastern Torres Strait, our traditional practice in an organization that that provided care for our families, I think the key element for us today, our traditional practice must be embedded into the policies and procedures of the organization that provide services to it has to written into the policies and procedures not only in terms of provided services, but around the management decision service provision, and also as part of evaluation and also take into consideration you’re up to embedded a research around our traditional practices of fit into the organization. Now the key element around traditional practice, it has to build into the organization around the cultural orientation to a staff or the old organization, it has to operate on a monthly basis to the organization and to new staff that comes into the organization. It has to build in and it has to involve community elders or members that has responsible responsibility around ensure traditional practices are provided. So in terms of our wellbeing for elders, in aged care or in the community, the thing has to build into the system and has to be given on a monthly basis to the management to the organization and to staff on an ongoing basis. So our traditional ceremonies and ritual the elders has to be involved. The community has to involve and our HK our clients, they asked to involve in all ceremonies and ritual they need to come off the facilities and involved in wherever we provide the ceremony or ritual within the community or other sites. For example, if they move while the elders are mobile, under your care if the ritual or ceremony are in the islands, they should be attending the ceremony and ritual because this is how we live and this is our strength. This is our health that they need to be involved in those ceremonies or ritual in spite of the size and costs. If you want a true reflection of the care you provide.
09:45
I think we need to see more professional indigenous groups work in aged care. So they they love they love more a better background when working working with indigenous clients. So, I guess if if we look at the bright our wider organizations, they need to employ in each group and and train them into professionals into mine streams and also would be good. We have indigenous offices also in placed to engage with local local leaders, local people and wider community which which we can have more understanding. When we communicate. There’s always a language barrier problem with indigenous people, especially my people Torres Strait of understanding and we do carry that with us. Hopefully in the in the future. Yeah, we will be more aware, and we have more understanding when dealing with fashion people.
11:00
As we wrap up this episode, we hope you’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the incredible linguistic diversity found in the Torres Strait region. These languages are not just words they are living treasures that connect communities and preserve centuries of culture. By listening to the voices of native speakers, we can bridge gaps and strengthen our bonds as humans united by the beauty of language. Thank you for joining us on this enlightening journey into the heart of linguistic heritage. Funding for this podcast has been provided by the Council on the aging Queensland homecare workforce Support Consortium as part of the home care workforce Support Program, which was funded through grant funding from the Australian Government
