In some places (parts of Victoria, and the Northern Territory)
community groups and schools have brought the indigenous
languages to the young, especially the (more receptive sometimes)
very young. Whether as part of a school curriculum, or in special
programs, this gives respect to the traditional culture and
lessens the 'wedge' effect of western education somewhat. It
allows elders to be teachers again and to bring useful knowledge
to the young. Of course there are still many transformations from
traditional culture, in terms of the very notions of schools and
curricula, who teaches whom by right of what sort of
relationships, etc. But it does seem to have some valuable
effects.
This sort of arrangement is still a kind of commodification of
knowledge, and in some conflict with the traditional notions
about knowledge (that it is inseparable from group-membership,
ritual usage, kin relationships, etc.), but in a hybrid scheme it
at least allows a way back in for the traditional cultural views.
Mediational means matter, and language makes a major difference,
as Pedro notes. Of course institutional arrangments are also part
of the mediational means, and the modern western cultural forms
remain hegemonic in this compromise, but perhaps the dynamics
remains open and the hegemony less settled under these
hybrid/compromise conditions. Half-a-loaf can give one the
strength to bake a new loaf sometimes. JAY.
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JAY LEMKE.
City University of New York.
BITNET: JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM
INTERNET: JLLBC who-is-at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU