Language with a Local

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BEAUTIFULLY DIVERSE array of Indigenous Australian languages?

Good news! This month, Emily Tyaemaen Ford shares her tips on where to start.

Gambay
gambay.com.au

This online interactive map from First Languages Australia is pretty cool. Gambay have been working with communities nationally to create a map that reflects the community’s wishes on the names and groupings of Indigenous Australian languages.

AUSTLANG
collection.aiatsis.gov.au

Maybe you know what language you’d like to learn more about or perhaps you’ve found a language on Gambay. What now? Try giving this website a shot!

AUSTLANG has a vast amount of information on many Indigenous Australian languages. From the different spellings of the languages’ name, records of research, related languages, and much more, these guys have got you covered.

Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages
livingarchive.cdu.edu.au

This one has more of a local focus. It’s a digital archive of literature written in the Indigenous languages of the NT. Here, you can explore local stories in local languages. As a bookworm, this website is a whole world of fun.

Want to know how the words sound? Some of the books have been turned into videos, so you can listen to the words and watch the story unfold. Most texts also have an English description or full translation.

Happy exploring!

Emily Tyaemaen Ford is a Rak Mak Mak Marranunggu woman from Kurrindju, who speaks two languages - Rak Mak Mak Marranunggu and Rak Marrithiyel. She is on the City of Darwin Youth Advisory Committee and works in Indigenous research at Northern Institute.