Grant success for the Pertame School

Earlier in the year we applied for a substantial grant through the Northern Territory Aboriginal Investment Corporation to design and construct an on-Country classroom at Boomerang Bore. And good news – our grant application, delivered on behalf of the Pertame School , was successful! The new facility has been a long-held dream for Pertame Elders and will enhance their thriving language revival program.

It is my dream to teach my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren our language and show our culture to them so they can think and talk in Pertame. Christobel Swan, Pertame Matriach

The on-Country classroom and adjacent camping facilities will provide a permanent home for the Pertame language on the land that the Country came from. The hub would provide an immersive experience, enabling children to look out into Country and see and experience the words being spoken.

English is a foreign language. Pertame language is our language. It’s our identity, it’s who we are, it’s where we come from, it’s our family. We have to instill in the children a love of their language, a love of their family, their culture and therefore a love of themselves. Kathy Swan-Bradshaw, Pertame Elder

Congratulations to Vanessa Farrelly and the Pertame community for introducing us to this excellent project. We can’t wait to get more involved!