Jaky is on a mission to reinvigorate Australia’s Indigenous languages.
Jaky is a Ngarigu woman whose country is the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales.
As a little girl, Jaky had no idea her people originally had a language of their own.
When her family spent time in Arnhem Land, she was amazed to hear all the different languages spoken there.
Jaky’s fascination with Indigenous languages was enhanced by her time spent in Mexico, and Japan.
Her own language, Ngarigu, is on the brink of extinction, but Jaky hopes one day to be able to speak it with her own daughter.
Jaky has developed the first framework for Aboriginal languages, meaning educators anywhere in the country will be able to develop a curriculum for any Australian language.
2016 update
A framework for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in schools has now been posted on the Australian Curriculum website.
Further information and listening
Dr Jaky Troy is the Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research at Sydney University.
Explore the ABC’s Aboriginal Languages Map
A conversation with Indigenous singer songwriter, Shellie Morris, who teaches women and children to write songs in their own languages.
Richard speaks with Emeritus Professor Roly Sussex, who has long been fascinated by the secret origins of everyday words and phrases.
Original broadcast November 2015
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- This article originally appears at:
- http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2016/07/08/4496935.htm
- Article taken from the following publication:
- Conversations with Richard Fidler
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