26 September 2023

New Space for Aboriginal communities

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The State Library of NSW has launched a new digital space for Aboriginal communities to connect with their histories and cultures.

State Librarian, John Vallance said the innovative website was called Gather and used an open-source platform called Mukurtu, developed by Washington State University in consultation with First Nations communities in Australia, the United States, Canada and other countries.

“The State Library is very pleased to be the first Australian institution to join this exciting project aimed at supporting Aboriginal communities to explore and share their cultural heritage,” Mr Vallance said.

Mr Vallance said the State Library held some of the most significant extant material related to Aboriginal history, language, art and culture, such as language lists and vocabularies, historic photographs, missionaries’ and explorers’ diaries, as well as contemporary Aboriginal works and stories.

Manager of Indigenous Engagement at the State Library, Damien Webb said that for the most part, the Library’s collection represented Australia’s First People as told by the third parties.

“This historical information is incredibly important to Aboriginal people because it may be the only known surviving records of their community and family from the time,” Mr Webb said.

“Gather is a place where, for the first time, communities are empowered to add their stories and perspective to the record,” he said.

The Gather website can be accessed at this PS News link.

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