There are many communities Reviving their Languages

Across Victoria there are a number of communities involved in Teaching and Reviving their own Aboriginal Languages belonging to particular places.

The Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (VACL) have been involved in supporting the reviving and reclamation of our Aboriginal Languages since 1994 with Uncle Sandy (John) Atkinson as Chairperson.  I have been involved with the VACL since 1995 until 2003 and was the Secretary of the organisation  but stepping away when I became ill. 

I am still involved in the reviving and reclamation of our Aboriginal Languages and Cultures and wrote the P-10 Aboriginal Languages and Cultures Standards with Dr Christina Eira from VACL for the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority and Aboriginal Languages as part of LOTE (Languages other than English) can now be taught to our children at school.

Why do I think this is important?  Firstly we are the first peoples of Australia and we teach a number of Languages in our schools, so why not learn about our Aboriginal Languages and cultures.

Saying and writing our Aboriginal words is different from how non-Aboriginal people say them so only us as Aboriginal people should say the words but for many of our community members and Elders they want people to know about their Languages and our way of life but it is also a very controversial issue as well, I hope that there will be the teaching of our Aboriginal Languages in many more schools with the schools working with our community and Elders in their community to assist.

The teaching of our Aboriginal Languages is not how other LOTEs are taught you cant just get a dictionary and decide to teach our Aboriginal Languages as many people do with other LOTEs our Aboriginal Languages are intertwined with culture, it is taught in context of the country to which the Language belongs and our belief is that you don't teach another Aboriginal Language in your country unless you have permission from the Elders in your community and also permission from the Elders of whose Language you wish to teach, just as we did do in 1987 to 1995 when the teaching of Bundjalung was taught at the Monash University Gippsland, firstly being taught by a Traditional owner and speaker of that Language who taught me and then when he went back to Casino NSW I visited the Bundjaulng community to seek permission to continue the teaching which was granted this is the protocol we follow when teaching Aboriginal Languages and we would assist that schools follow and support protocols when they are interested in teaching an Aboriginal Language and culture program in their school.

Currently in 2012 there is Aboriginal Languages being learnt at Woolum Bellum Koorie Pathways school years 7-10 which I am currently the Leading teacher working with disengaged Koorie youth from their mainstream schools.  The way to engage is to teach about who they are and that is done through the learning of their Aboriginal Languages and Culture.  We visit Elders, go on Camps, Excursions to special places and learn the history and culture of those places along with the language names.

Healsville Secondary college and Thornbury Primary school are learning Woiwurrung Language the people from the Kulin Nation around Melbourne area.  I am also working with the Bright Secondary college and they have students in their VCE years with students from the WADEYE community in NT learning and reviving reclaiming Aboriginal Languages.  There are a number of other programs down the Warrnambool way also.

As a grandparent now with grandchildren in school and going into Secondary schools I don't want them learning about other Languages I want them to learn about how rich our Aboriginal Languages were and still are.  They also have voiced their own opinions about learning Aboriginal Languages.  My Uncle Max who is my Dads younger brother has been involved with me going to kindergartens and schools to talk about our Languages and culture. The two little ones in pink are my grand daughters in 2004 who were always so excited to Have Uncle Max come, and there are many other Elders doing the same kinds of work across Victoria