Australian Indigenous Studies 1.0.

Already into week 5 of semester! The long twilights giving way to sudden darkness and the temperatures starting to fall. It’s been a lot less stressful than last year though there have been system failures that have affected subject delivery across the Faculty of Arts. At the moment we are overextended as we deliver subjects, develop forward plans, research and support networks. Later this year a coach will work with us in finessing our curriculum and subject delivery. This will mark the transition from Australian Indigenous Studies 1.0 to Australian Indigenous Studies 2.0. It starts with a vision, its implementation and then evaluation and improvement.

Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). One outcome of the response to damage caused by the Queensland floods has been the Federal Government’s abolition of the ALTC in order to free up funds for the reconstruction. The ALTC was an organisation with some achievements – but its twilight zone ambience provided negative inspiration for the practitioners colloquium we organised for University of Melbourne staff teaching Indigenous students, or Indigenous themed subjects. The floods provided the excuse to get rid of the ALTC: eventually a research body more closely aligned with reality should take its place.

Christian Thompson. Some of the most exciting work in Indigenous art is being done by photographers and one of the best is Christian Thompson. Check out his new exhibition at Gallery Gabriell Pizzi, April 12- May 7. http://www.gabriellepizzi.com.au/home.html

Indigenous Troubadors: The National Library of Australia has funded a study of early Aboriginal folk/country singers from western NSW.
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/01/27/3123379.htm?site=canberra

And on the Money. Trying to set up a meeting with a Bunnerong elder on Labour Day produced this response:
Next Monday celebrates Labour Day, not that anyone works an 8 hour day anymore, somehow the working week has been extended. And of course - you work for that University.