Elders Talk Up Plan to Rescue Indigenous Tongues

A STATE government plan to rescue Aboriginal languages threatened with extinction has been welcomed by community leaders following the launch of the first of five trial centres based across country NSW.

The government-funded but community-run Language and Culture Nest opened in Dubbo, central NSW, on Friday and aims to co-ordinate teaching in the local Wiradjuri language from preschool through to TAFE and university.

Wiradjuri elder and Dubbo councillor Rod Towney said he had seen several attempts by government to preserve Aboriginal languages but that this latest program was different. “It hasn’t been pushed on us by people who don’t understand us,” Mr Towney said.

The Wiradjuri language group is the state’s biggest in terms of geographical area, occupying a vast expanse of central NSW.

“It has been there for forever and a day and we just need to keep it alive,” Mr Towney said.

The nest, one of five trial centres to be established by February to cover the Wiradjuri, Paarkintji/Barkindji, Gamilaraay, Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr languages, is expected to provide instruction to 2500 Aboriginal children, but will also be open to non-indigenous students.

NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Victor Dominello said the strategy aimed to move away from the previous Labor government’s “sporadic” and “ad hoc” attempts to save native languages.

Mr Dominello said the plan was based on a process of community consultation in which more than 2700 submissions had been received by a committee on which sat seven government ministers and four Aboriginal representatives.