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Current Board Members

Wangka Maya's Board of Directors is elected by the members at the AGM.

 

Name: Bruce Thomas

Position: Chair

Background: Bruce Thomas is a traditional Mangala man. He grew up with Nyangumarta people. Nyangumarta is one of nearly 30 languages in the Pilbara region in Western Australia. The traditional country of the Nyangumarta people lies along the Eighty Mile Beach area north of Port Hedland, and inland about 350 kilometres to near Telfer. Bruce was born after the famous 1946 Pilbara Strike which sought equal rights for Aboriginal people. The Nomads are an independent Aboriginal organisation set up at the time of the strike to run their own businesses. The main centre for the Nomads remains at Strelley, a small community just 100 kilometres north east of Port Hedland. As a young man Bruce went to Strelley Schoool night classes to read and write Nyangumarta. In 2003 he collected the award for most oustanding student for the Certificate IV in Aboriginal Languages.

 

Name: Anne Sibosado (Lockyer)

Position: Vice Chairperson
Background: I have lived in Port Hedland since I was six years old. My father went into the army when I was born so we came back to Port Hedland after the war. When I first became involved with Wangka Maya, it was located in a house on what was then the Pilbara Aboriginal College campus and then moved to Lotteries House. Now we have finished construction of our own language centre where there is more room for the staff and they are closer to the public. I never learnt my father's language, so my passion is for a place where our language can be stored and our people can read and transcribe and make books in their language.

 

Name: Harry Taylor
Position: Treasurer
Background: Harry Taylor is a long-term Board member.