Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Program.

The Institute for Aboriginal Development (IAD) is an Aboriginal-controlled language resource center and adult education center serving the Aboriginal communities of central Australia. Its activities include education programs, which range from literacy and numeracy to vocational and tertiary-level courses; an Aboriginal language and culture center specializing in language, cross-cultural, and cultural maintenance programs, as well as providing interpreter services and language research; and a publishing arm, which produces material on the Aboriginal people, language, and culture of central Australia. IAD aims to be an Indigenous university recognized and funded as a mainstream postsecondary organization. Toward this end, IAD has partnered with La Trobe University to develop university-level courses. The Federation of Independent Aboriginal Education Providers, of which IAD is a member, has proposed the creation of an Indigenous-controlled multi-campus university in Australia and the joining with other Indigenous peoples around the world to develop a genuine anti- and post-colonial education system. IAD believes that empowerment of Aboriginal people will come through land rights, education, and health. Accessing ancestral lands maintains spiritual and cultural links and encourages taking care of them. Education gives people the skills and knowledge to maintain the land, and health awareness incorporated into curricula improves the quality of life. Language maintenance is a priority toward achieving these ends and is incorporated into the curriculum. (TD)