The Kimberley Language Resource Centre has issued a call for united action, urging "all available Cultural Lore Bosses, Storytellers and Knowledge Holders who hold Cultural Authority, in the Kimberley Region" to gather in Halls Creek in the coming week to discuss the future of the Centre after it was targeted by thieves and vandals.
"It is of greatest concern of the anti-social behaviour in Halls Creek. Young people at high risk are causing trauma through actions leading up to the most recent criminal behaviour towards the KLRC properties over the long weekend," the Centre said in a statement on Thursday.
"Anti-social behaviour has become a norm within the young generations, it is devastating to see that the gaps are not closing, it is disconcerting to see that our young people are being carried wayside by the excitement they feel when they do immense damage towards community."
Bunuba Elder Patsy Ngalu Bedford brought national attention to the Monday night break-in with her heartfelt call for strong leadership in the face of the incident.
In their official statemet, the Centre said: "For the first time ever, the KLRC Office has been vandalised with signs of utmost disrespect towards the Language Centre and even worse, tempered with irreplaceable records kept in the archive room. Records that were held for over 40 years, some dating back as far as the early 1900s."
The KLRC noted that the community of Halls Creek are the guardians of such important materials and documentations left behind by storytellers and knowledge holders, the people of the past, the present and the ones emerging from across the Kimberley Region.
"This is a disturbing vandalization of cultural memory and place," they said.
"It is heart breaking to know this kind of misbehaviour is causing such trauma towards families and the people who hold cultural authority, who are impacted from the loss of such invaluable information recorded to help keep our Kimberley Aboriginal Language and Culture alive. The very reason why the KLRC keeps records in storage is to safeguard the treasures of cultural values and history.
"Today, the Board of Directors, are advising the public of the current circumstance that the KLRC presently face. It is with a heavy heart and on behalf of the KLRC Senior Advisors and Members, we turn to the public for support in seeking any information to help identify the young adults and youth who are responsible for the burglary and trespass at the KLRC Office, the KLRC Managers House, and also the people responsible for stealing the KLRC Vehicle (troopy)."
The Language Centre said those responsible "must be held accountable and face whatever consequences of their actions".
"We should not be in such a predicament. We must look at our own backyards and open our eyes to see what is happening among our own people, our youth and our future in the Kimberley Region," the Centre said.
"The immediate action will be the closure of the KLRC. We will need to ensure the safety of our staff before reopening its doors and have the vehicle returned or located. Please be advised the KLRC staff are unable to operate until further notice without resources to support the work on the ground. We do apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused due to these unforeseen circumstances.
"We now call upon all available Cultural Lore Bosses, Storytellers and Knowledge Holders who hold Cultural Authority, in the Kimberley Region, as a Call For Action to gather in Halls Creek in the coming week to discuss the future of the Kimberley Language Resource Centre."
