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Awards given to language champions

Congratulations go out to three members of the First Languages Australia network for awards received recently.

Noongar linguist, Denise Smith-Ali has been announced Western Australia’s Local Hero 2014 in the WA Awards for Australian of the Year. The award is in recognition of the tireless dedication Denise has shown to language work in the state. She joins recipients from the other States and Territories as finalists for the national awards to be announced on January 25 in Canberra.

Author, editor, social commentator and First Languages Australia Director Bruce Pascoe was this year awarded the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction for his 27th book, Fog a Dox.

First Languages Australia Director Kevin Lowe and Tyson Yunkaporta were honoured with the 2013 Colin Marsh Award for their paper, The Inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content in the Australian National Curriculum: A cultural cognitive and socio-political evaluation, published in Curriculum Perspectives Volume 33, No 1.

Out and about

Over the past months First Languages Australia has hosted meetings in Adelaide and at the national conference Puliima in Melbourne. Representatives Melinda Holden, Bridget Priman and Paul Paton were also honoured to be invited by the Western and Northern Aboriginal Language Alliance to attend the Wanala Conference 2013, to formally introduce the organisation to those attending.

The strength of the First Languages Australia is grounded in the support of language workers, project teams and centres nationally. You can assist in the work of the organisation by encouraging your co-workers to join the mailing list or become a member.

Collectively First Languages Australia members work to ensure that the organisation is kept informed of the needs of language workers and language groups nationally. As members of First Languages Australia you are encouraged to: * Speak up about the needs of your languages and your language programs, * Keep us informed of your successes and new initiatives, and * Provide First Languages Australia with feedback to contribute to discussions with Government.

Join First Languages Australia's network

You can assist in the work of First Languages Australia by becoming an active member of our network.

Collectively, First Languages Australia's network helps to ensure that the organisation is kept informed of the needs of language workers and language groups nationally.

As part of the First Languages Australia network, you are encouraged to:

  • Speak up about the needs of your languages and your language programs,
  • Keep us informed of your successes and new initiatives, and
  • Provide First Languages Australia with feedback to contribute to discussions with the Government.

Make sure you are on our mailing list to be kept informed of all national language activities.

You might also like to follow us on Facebook or Twitter to get an overview of the diversity of work happening around the country. Your comments, likes and shares will help the posts be seen by a larger audience.

Restoring Indigenous languages

For SBS by Murray Silby

From an estimated 250 Indigenous languages at the time of European settlement, only about 20 are now widely spoken in Australia.

But where governments once ordered that the languages not be spoken, they are now funding their revival.

Whether the restoration efforts are enough for widespread revitalisation of the languages is yet to be seen, but Indigenous workers in the field say the seeds of success are beginning to germinate.

Read the full article and listen to the podcast

Australia's Got Language

First Languages Australia was delighted to be part of Puliima again this year. It is always an important event bringing people together from around Australia and beyond to share and learn. This year saw a record number attending the conference and appreciating the diverse selection of presentations.

For the first time this year Puliima hosted a talent contest called, Australia's Got Language. The level of participation was wonderful as was the calibre of talent. First Languages Australia was involved in filming the performances and interviews with various conference attendees, for use in language promotion activities over the next few years. So stay tuned.

Treasure trove of Indigenous language documents unearthed at NSW State Library

ABC report on the Mitchell Libraries Rediscovering Indigenous Languages project.

A treasure trove of Indigenous language documents from across Australia has been discovered in the New South Wales State Library.

The accounts of early contact between Aboriginal people and European settlers were unearthed during a forensic search of the unpublished papers filed away in the basement of the colonial building.

Read more: Treasure trove of Indigenous language documents unearthed at NSW State Library

Hidden Gems: The Role of Libraries & Archives in Cutural Revitalisation

The NSW State Librarian is hosting Hidden Gems an international symposium that will explore the role of libraries and archives in the revitalisation of indigenous language and culture.

In proposing and hosting the symposium the State Library of NSW is once again taking the lead in the Australian First Languages Collection Strategy. First Languages Australia comments the initiative and looks forward to the discussions and presentations.

Find out more about from their website.

Yugambeh being taught at Waterford West State School in Logan

From NITV by David Liddle.

A Brisbane school has started teaching a local Aboriginal language, in a bid to engage Indigenous students and close the gap in education.

Waterford West State School in Logan, which recently won the Education category of the Premier’s Reconciliation Awards, has started teaching its students Yugambeh, a local Aboriginal language.

The school, which has 640 students of whom 80 are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, is hoping that including the language in its curriculum will help close the gap in education and encourage Aboriginal students and their families.

Warrgamay people developing mayay (language) story books

An ABC Open Blog post by Jedda Priman, as part of ABC Open’s Mother Tongue Project.

Throughout the last decade the Warrgamay people have worked hard to reclaim their traditional language. Today we are developing story books for children using the Warrgamaygan mayay.

We are currently working on two children’s story books written in both English and Warrgamay. These story books will have the facility of an audio recording along with the book.

Read the full post and leave your comments.

Warrgamay people developing mayay (language) story books (2)

An ABC Open Blog post by Jedda Priman, as part of ABC Open’s Mother Tongue Project.

Throughout the last decade the Warrgamay people have worked hard to reclaim their traditional language. Today we are developing story books for children using the Warrgamaygan mayay.

We are currently working on two children’s story books written in both English and Warrgamay. These story books will have the facility of an audio recording along with the book.

Read the full post and leave your comments.

Butchulla Lullaby

Joy Bonner took up the ABC Open Mother Tongue challenge and made this beautiful film with her ABC Open producer Brad Marsellos.

Melissa Lucashenko’s Mullumbimby

From ABC books and arts daily, by Daniel Browning.

In Bundjalung, you might greet another blackfella by asking: ‘Jingawahlu?’ Literally, ‘Where do you walk?’ but there is a deeper meaning: ‘Where are you from, where have you been, where are you going?’ Living and walking on your own country confers a sense of belonging. Unfortunately for Twoboy, his fight is a bit more complicated. In the absence of songs, language and an intact dreaming—although he knows his totem or ‘meat’ is the mibun or wedgetail eagle—Twoboy has to prove his Bundjalung identity the whitefella way: suited up, in the tribunal.

Daniel Browning

See Melissa’s website for Mullumbimby.

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