Blood - An exhibition at the University of Melbourne's Science Gallery

Members of the Research Unit for Indigenous Language, are working with the Science Gallery at the University of Melbourne on an exhibition themed around 'blood'. They will have various exhibits about the scientific nature of blood, including a map of Australian languages displaying as many words for 'blood' as can be arranged by May.

The team are asking interested language workers to supply an mp3 file of someone from your community saying the word for 'blood' for the public display. Each speaker will be acknowledged in the documentation for the site. The files along with the language name and the speaker's name can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for inclusion in the display.

Puliima registrations open

Puliima 2017, the sixth Indigenous Language and Technology Conference, will be held on October 16th-20th in Cairns, Queensland.

The forum fills quickly so check the Puliima website for all the details.

First Languages Australia and ABC Regional Partnership News

Read more: First Languages Australia and ABC Regional Partnership News

Our Marrin Gamu Competition with ABC Splash is on again

In 2016, twenty-seven schools and community groups contributed Marrin Gamu entries with over 600 students participating. The quality of submissions was well above expected, with everyone putting in a tremendous effort.

As last year's winners, Yipirinya school received a visit from their local ABC Open producer to make a professional filming of their song ‘Alknge Irlpe’. The film will screen on ABC Me in the coming months.

Follow this link to view the entries

Runner's Up Dyandra Primary received a package of Noongar language resources for their school library, presented by local ABC Producer Hilary Smile.

ABC Splash has once again committed to promoting this competition encouraging collaboration between schools and their local language group/s around the translation and performance of a local version of Marrin Gamu.

This year, to ensure we make the best use of the excellent contributions, the submission of high-quality files will be possible. Contributions can still be recorded on phones and tablets. Just grab a tripod and send in the full quality version that you capture.

The competition opens 29th May. Click here for more information.

Priority Languages Support Project

Priority Languages Support Project.

First Languages Australia has been commissioned by the Ministry for the Arts to undertake the Priority Languages Documentation Project. The aim of this project is to identify critically endangered languages for which no recordings or documentation have been made.

First Languages Australia is working with language centres and projects around Australia to identify languages to be included in this project.

If you are aware of any Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander speakers of languages of which have never had any recordings or documentation undertaken, please contact us so that they can be included in the project.

A comprehensive strategy to address the objectives of the project is being developed based on community feedback.

This project is has also been known as the "Priority Languages Support Project” and “Priority Language Teams Project”. This project commenced in 2015 and is due to run for three years.

Round one saw the support of 10 priority languages including:
Pertame Southern Arrernte
Ngarla (Wangga)
Yinggarda (Yingkarta)
Warriyangga
Yeeman
Byelle
Taribelang
Wägilak/Ritharrŋu
Lower (Southern) Arrernte
Kunbarlang
Pertame Southern Arrernte
Ngarla (Wangga)
Yinggarda (Yingkarta)

International Indigenous Research Conference 2016

15-18 November 2016,

Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland, New Zealand

For all the conference information including Registration, Keynote Speakers, Presenters, Past Conferences, etc, please click HERE

Festival of Pacific Arts, 2016

 Report by Annalee Pope

The Festival of the Pacific Arts is held every four years and brings together artists and cultural practitioners from the 27 Pacific Islands nations and territories. This year the 12th Pacific Arts Festival took place in Guam, USA. The theme for this year's Festival is;

"Håfa Iyo-ta, Håfa Guinahå-ta, Håfa Ta Påtte, Dinanña' Sunidu Siha Giya Pasifiku"
"What We Own, What We Have, What We Share, United Voices of the Pacific"

During the festival, an Indigenous Languages Conference was held at the University of Guam on the 27th and 28th of May. This inaugural conference provided an opportunity for all indigenous people to discuss the preservation, revival and maintenance of their indigenous languages.

Read more: Festival of Pacific Arts, 2016

Marrin Gamu on BtN Newsbreak, ABC3

This video is an excerpt from ABC3's BtN Newsbreak, 23rd May 2016.

A big thank you to Natasha, Sarah and the BtN Newsbreak team for showcasing the project. You can watch watch the full episode here.

Or today's episode here.

Marrin Gamu Competition with ABC Splash

First Languages Australia has partnered with ABC Splash in a Marrin Gamu competition. The competition is a fantastic opportunity to build a relationship with your local Indigenous community. Find out how!

First Languages Australia has developed Marrin Gamu, a song for Primary school children and teachers, to promote the diversity and beauty of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

The Marrin Gamu song is designed for translation into local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages across Australia.

Australia has hundreds of first languages, and to celebrate National Reconciliation Week (27 May and 3 June), ABC Splash is collaborating with First Languages Australia to see Marrin Gamu sung in as many of these languages as possible.

We're inviting students and teachers to learn the English words to this short song and engage with their local Indigenous community to translate them into the first language of their area.

Once students have mastered a local version of the song, make a recording, then share and upload the video to the Splash competition page.

All entries will go in the running to receive the major prize: a visit from a professional video production team to film the students performing the song!

This competition will run until 10 August 2016, so that all schools have time to develop the necessary relationships and participate in the project.

Visit the Marrin Gamu website for an example to help get you started. There's also a range of curriculum-linked classroom activities developed around the project.

First Languages Australia join the United Nations International Expert Group Meeting on Indigenous Languages

First Languages Australia was invited by the United Nations Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to participate in an expert group meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, January 2016.

Representatives of First Languages Australia Paul Paton and Daryn McKenny travelled New York to take part. 

The meeting Indigenous Languages: preservation and revitalization (articles 13, 14 and 16 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) was undertaken to build upon recommendations from the previous expert group meeting in 2008, focusing on the principles of cultural diversity and indigenous languages as a way to promote intercultural dialogue and affirm indigenous peoples identity.

Paul and Daryn had the opportunity to speak at the meeting about the state of language revival in Australia and demonstrate projects and initiatives which are making positive inroads into language revival and cultural strengthening.

To read more about the meeting click here

To find out more about the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues visit their website, facebook or twitter page

Daryn McKenny and Paul Paton. "When we started to get our language back, we got our power back" Daryn. Photo courtesy UN.

Share your songs for International Mother Language Day

February 21st is International Mother Language Day. To celebrate, next week we are asking everyone to share a song in an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language on their Facebook page.

The campaign is being spearheaded by the Parkes Wiradjuri Language Team who were ambassadors for International Mother Languages Day last year, and have gone on to record their own song, Badu Ngahdi Mudyigaang Guwany: I am My Elders Blood, to be launched for the event this year. The song was written by Geoff Anderson, Lionel Lovett and the Parkes Wiradjuri Language group and is sung by Lionel Lovett and Tiyana Towney. Click here to listen to Badu Ngahdi Mudyigaang Guwany, and here to read a story about the production process.

Members of the 'I am My Elders Blood' production team

There may be a song in your language that is available for sharing, or you might like to record one. It could be an existing song, a translation of part of your favourite song, or something you have written. Even just a few lines is fine.

ABC Open has some tips on recording on your smart phone that people looking to record themselves or their families singing may find useful, for example:
* Filming with your smart phone
* Editing video on your mobile
* Recording audio on your smart phone

How to share with us:
Once you have a copy of the song. Upload it to your personal Facebook account, 'like' our Facebook page, and then 'tag' First Languages Australia @firstlangaugesaustralia and tell us about the song, or post the link on our Facebook page.

We are looking forward to a song filled week celebrating our languages.

Seizure: Paid literary translation opportunity

Seizure is an online literary magazine that publishes creative writing by emerging Australian writers.

They have an upcoming edition focused on translations and have contacted First Languages Australia to help spread the word among Indigenous translators. You can translate someone else's creative writing into English, or you can translate your own. The piece of creative writing will be published both in the original language and the English translation.

Click here for more information.

You can also tweet in your #MotherLanguage

This Sunday once again there will be a world wide Twitter campaign in celebration of UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day 2016.

People all around the world will be tweeting in their mother language to raise awareness of their languages. You can join the celebrations by tweeting in your language on February 21.

Participants will use the hashtag #MotherLanguage, along with the hashtag of their language (for example: #Yawuru #Adnyamathanha #Gunggari ).

Last year there were 111 Australian languages represented. So share this message with your Twitter followers and get tweeting this Sunday.

Further information on how to get involved is available on the campaign website.

Tag us @FirstLangAU if you would like us to retweet.

Noongar Boodjar Language Centre Opening

First Languages Australia would like to congratulate all the people who have worked tirelessly over the past ten years toward the opening of the Noongar Boodjar Language Cultural Aboriginal Corporation.

In the words of the Language Centre's Chairperson, George Hayden:
The opening of the Noongar Boodjar Language Centre is a tremendous step forward for the preservation and use of Noongar language. The centre has been established to ensure that all Noongar people have a place where the language is preserved and studied, where Noongar books are made, Noongar language classes held, stories recorded and resources made available for families.

Here are some photos of the opening celebrations.

Chairperson George Hayden addresses              The message stick created by Karim Khan

the audience at the opening                              for the opening of the NBLC                 

Young champions at Puliima 2015

It was a pleasure to be able to invite nine of our younger language champions to Puliima 2015. Each of the Young Champions gave an engaging presentation on the work they are doing in their communities. They also attended numerious Puliima sessions and participated in breakout work facilitated by Yugambeh woman, and Cadets Manager for the PCYC, Sally Baisden.

This year the nominated young champions travelled from Maningrida, Ngukurr, Parkes, Harvey Bay, Adelaide and Townsville.

The young champions each expressed their delight at being able to attend the forum and learning from the diverse language activities happening around the country.  

Facilitator Sally Baisden has been working in youth development for over a decade. Sally reported that the opportunity to work with the group of dynamic and powerful Young Champions was very fulfilling.

"The forum was invaluable in strengthening our understanding of the immense body of work that is being conducted across the country in the realm of Indigenous languages and culture," Sally said.

Young Champions, 2015:
Jason O’Neil - Wiradjuri
Abigail Carter - Burarra
Annalee Pope - Waka Waka
Meyalah Blackman - Gurang/Toolooa/Nywaigi
Corey Theatre - Gunditj-Marra/Kurnai/Djap Warrung
Angelina Joshua - Marra
Alwyn Ross - Butchulla
Bruce Waia - Butchulla/Gubbi Gubbi
Maritza Roberts - Marra

Language revival a healthy path to indigenous survival

A story by Rick Morton for The Australian

The community at La Perouse, with the help of the NSW government, has built a resource of words and phrases in the Dharawal language.
Community members have been trained in Certificate I and II courses and a K-6 syllabus is being developed. 

Children are greeted with “Naggangbi” — “how are you?” — and farewelled with “Nandawabi” — “see you in the future” — each day.

“Sydney is in the Western world and for our community’s survival we have to engage,” Mr Ingrey said.

“But why not have both our worlds side-by-side?”

General manager of the Gujaga Children’s Service in La Perouse Shannon Williams said language loss fed into other social traumas; poor education, isolation, suicide.

In one Canadian study of indigenous people, researchers ­observed a direct link between speaking their native tongue and reduction in suicide rates among their youth.

In British Columbia, those who reported less than half of a cohort with conversational knowledge of their language had suicide rates six times higher than those where a majority had language skills.

Read the full article here.