Celebrating the Decade of Indigenous Languages

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2022 - 2032 the Decade of Indigenous Languages. The Decade provides an important platform to celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ languages for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Their roadmap for the decade, the Los Pintos Declaration, emphasises Indigenous peoples’ rights to freedom of expression, to an education in their mother tongue, and to participate in public life using their languages, as prerequisites for survival of Indigenous languages. 

At ILF, we acknowledge the immense value of supporting remote Communities to revitalise, maintain and preserve their First Languages, for cultural integrity, learning, identity, improved wellbeing, and autonomy.

We are Community-led, responding to individual needs, and place remote mob at the centre of everything we do. 

The Decade provides an important platform to celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ languages for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. 

One of our goals in 2022 is to support a number of the remote Communities we already work with, to write, illustrate and publish 40 books in 22 different First Languages.

Did you know that many First Languages do not translate into the written word? This means that Community Elders and linguists need to collaborate and agree on the most appropriate translation that is contextual, relevant and appropriate.  

We look forward to sharing the ILF journey with you as we listen and support remote Communities across Australia, to write their own stories in the languages of their choice, for their children, grandchildren, and future generations.

Watch the launch of two bilingual books, Jarrumpa (Yabbies) and Purlka ngamaji Kakaji (Big Fat Mummy Goanna), written in Walmajarri here. 
 

• Posted 14 December, 2021