Push to Revive Indigenous Languages at School

MANY Australians have never met an Aboriginal and are probably not aware that they use indigenous words every day.

The names of iconic Australian animals and place names are derived from the language of the Darug people, who are the traditional owners of the Parramatta region.

“We all speak Darug,” Darug artist Jacinta Tobin said.

“Cooee, which means ‘come here’, is from our language, as well as wombat and boomerang.”

The Darug language is 5,000 years old and was the first Aboriginal language heard by the European colonisers when they arrived at Sydney Cove in 1788.

Parramatta is derived from its Darug name Burramutta. The annual Burramatta Festival celebrates Darug heritage and culture.

It is the source of many words which have made their way into common usage today such as corroboree, koala, dingo, waratah and wallaby.

A wide range of place names and street names throughout Sydney are derived from Darug, including Parramatta, Kogarah, Mulgoa, Dural, Winmalee, Cammeray and Wahroonga.

Ms Tobin said there was a critical need to preserve indigenous Australian languages that were in danger of dying out.

Many Aboriginal languages were lost because up until the 1970s government policies banned and discouraged Aboriginal people from speaking their languages.

Research shows that up to 90 per cent of the world’s 7,000 languages could be lost by the end of the century.

Jacinta Tobin uses songs to help preserve the Darug language.

Of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, only 18 of an original 250 are still widely spoken.

“I think it should be taught in all schools,” Ms Tobin said.

“If it’s not going to be taught here, who is going to learn about it? This is our culture as Australians.

“I think it would help lessen the suicide rate among indigenous people as it will make people feel a sense of belonging.

“Our suicide rates are ridiculous, yet we don’t even have a word in Darug for it.”

Teaching Aboriginal languages in schools has helped keep local indigenous dialects alive.

Ms Tobin will talk about the importance of keeping indigenous languages alive during the Building Bridges seminar at Parramatta Town Hall tonight.

The workshop is one in a series designed to give people an opportunity to meet indigenous people.

“It is a great opportunity for the community to come and learn about our culture,” Ms Tobin said.

The workshop starts at 7.30pm.

Darug words you need to know

Hello: warami

Goodbye: yanu

Man: dullai/mulla

I am: nyalu

Woman: dyin

Father: biyanga

Mother: wiyanga

Food: badalya

Land: bembul

You: ngyini

Yes: yuwin

Friend: gamarada

Evil spirit: gubba

Water: badu

White man: tullamulla

Parramatta: Burramattagul