A language that’s transforming a town.
The small New South Wales town of Parkes is famous for their annual Elvis Festival and for their role in helping to beam astronauts onto the moon (as seen in ‘The Dish’). But there’s something else that’s very special about this place.
Just a decade or two earlier, Parkes was described as ‘very racist’ and ‘divided’. Now, in 2012, 1,000 people per week learn the Wiradjuri language and culture. It’s taught in primary schools, high schools and TAFE. Anecdotally, the Wiradjuri teachers have told me that the racism they experienced as kids at school, has completely vanished. The last NAIDOC march attracted 400 people, more than half of whom were non-Indigenous. And this is in a town of just 10,000 people.
Over the past week, I’ve learned about how the language was documented, built into curriculum and ultimately taught to the masses. I’ll be sharing more of these stories over the coming months. For now – this short doco is a sneak preview of what the Wiradjuri language program is all about.
The Wiradjuri language is the main language connected to the Albury-Wodonga region and it stretches far into New South Wales. I set sail with the ‘Mother Tongue’ project, which is a local activity focussing on Indigenous languages, because there are so many exciting stories in this area. Around the country, Indigenous communities, teachers and linguists are working together to revive, renew and maintain their local languages in a plethora of ways. From making animation films and writing songs in language, to creating dictionaries, hosting radio shows and re-writing entire school curriculum; this is grassroots reconciliation at its best.
To watch the video click the link below.
- This article originally appears at:
- http://open.abc.net.au/posts/our-mother-tongue-wiradjuri-02vw8hr?fb_ref=.T9E32gSdx-8.like&fb_source=home_oneline&fwcc=1&fwcl=1&fwl
- Article taken from the following publication:
- ABC News
- Article submitted by:
