Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation Archives
JULUWARLU’s mission is to collect, record, catalogue, archive, preserve, re-produce, exhibit, publish and broadcast the culture and history of the Yindjibarndi people whose traditional lands encompass parts of the western Pilbara in Western Australia.
The Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation Archive is a collection of great significance to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, has state significance as one of few such archives in Western Australia, and similar national and international importance.
In 2000 the Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation embarked on a major project to record the history of the Yindjibarndi people whose traditional lands encompass a vast tract of the western Pilbara, including Millstream National Park and the Chichester Ranges.
This unique Archive which is housed in Roebourne includes information already on record, and draws on the vast cultural knowledge and experience of today’s generation of Yindjibarndi people. At Juluwarlu we preserve the intimate and special knowledge held by Yindjibarndi people by meeting, interviewing, filming, talking and listening to their Elders and their stories and making them available to the public. The collection contains audio and video tape interviews, digital and print photographs, short films and documentaries. The continued collection of such material is invaluable so that an authentic history of Yindjibarndi traditional and current lifestyle and culture is preserved and used.
The integration and inputting of documents, photographs, sound and video cultural information into the electronic archive Mirnuwarni Ganyjagayi [based on the South Australian Ara Irititja Project] is ongoing and has already seen an increase in use of the Archive by scholars, students, researchers, and local residents. An additional effect is that users then give extra information and donate or loan material for copying. The most effective and appropriate contemporary methods and media technology are used and Yindjibarndi people are trained in the special skills required. Development of partnerships with the broader community is ongoing.
From the material collected several books have been published (Wanggalili: Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma Plants (2003); Know the Song Know the Country (2004); Gurruragan: Yindjibarndi Fauna (2005) Ngurra Warndurala Buluyugayi – Millstream (2007); Ngurra Warndurala Bulluyugayi Wuyumarri – Gregory Gorge (2008); and several documentaries and short films produced (including Wankangarra: Family Relationships & Respect in partnership with Mawarnkarra Aboriginal Medical Service; Ngurra: 2 Rivers). The material will also be used in the development of content for local community education, for the state school system, for corporate and government institutions, tourism and cross cultural training programs.
The importance of information management has been identified by the Corporation and Juluwarlu personnel are currently undergoing training in records management and archives to ensure that the rich heritage of the Yindjibarndi people is always available to them.