Wilya Janta launches First Nations remote housing videos on how and why culturally appropriate housing matters
The Northern Territory not-for-profit Wilya Janta, advocating for innovative, First Nations-designed housing, has launched a new video series in nine languages to educate remote communities about what culturally and climate-appropriate housing should and can be with a plan to raise funds to build nationally.
The three-part video series tells the story of the Wilya Janta origin and design for housing that takes NT community needs and cultural practises into account. The videos will soon be available in at least nine languages in and around the Northern Territory including, Warumungu, Pintupi-Luritja, Tennant Creek Aboriginal English, Gurindji, Ngarinymin, Warlpiri, Katherine East Creol, Yolngu and Nguwingu.
Language really matters to First Nations communities. It’s at the heart of their culture. As an organisation driven by their Warumungu founders who insist that culture drives how they operate, they want to share their story the right way, in First Nations languages, so that remote communities across the NT can hear about their project. Wilya Janta commissioned the videos to share with communities being forced to live in highly substandard housing around the country so they could see and support an alternative. The team hopes that the videos will help these communities visualise a model of housing suited for them and their families, housing that respects and embeds their culture into the design of every home.
The video series will soon be taken on the road with showings in Yuendumu, Lajamanu, Kalkarindji, Dargaragu, Yarralin, Ali Curung, Utopia and Ngukurr with more communities to come.
Wilya Janta worked with Highway Learning and the Purple House Language Group and received funding from Groundswell Giving, ANZ and the Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) to develop and show the videos.
For more information or to support the project, contact Dr Simon Quilty, Wilya Janta CEO, via hello@wilyajanta.org.
