Indigenous language landscapes: Why a fuller understanding of Indigenous peoples’ language contexts is important

Indigenous language landscapes. Why a fuller understanding of Indigenous peoples’ language contexts is important

2024 Paul Bourke Award Lecture | Dr Denise Angelo with Indigenous language researchers:

Tara Bonney, Marmingee Hand, Corina Norman, Carmel Ryan, Jasmine Seymour, Bernadine Yeatman

Date: Tuesday 1 October
Time: 6.30 - 8.00pm, followed by light refreshments
Venue: Hedley Bull Lecture Theatre 1, Australian National University

Paul Bourke Award Public Lecture with Dr Denise Angelo, Australian National University and Indigenous languages researchers from around Australia, Jasmine Seymour and Corina Norman (Sydney), Tara Bonney (Mt Gambier SA), Bernadine Yeatman (Yarrabah QLD), Marmingee Hand (Fitzroy Crossing WA), Carmel Ryan and Cecily Palmer (Ltentye Apurte NT).

In this lecture we address why seeing a fuller picture of contemporary First Nations language landscapes matters for achieving practical goals in Indigenous languages, education and other policy areas. We unpack the important elements of the Indigenous Language Ecologies approach (2020 National Indigenous Languages Report) and show how these represent the linguistic diversity of urban, regional and remote locations. Indigenous researchers share their own rich language ecologies, offering a window onto their local language histories, their contemporary language situations and their language work.

This lecture goes directly to fundamentals such as why “what works” depends on whether languages are being maintained or revitalised. Or why accessible information for community members, including school children, involves a language perspective. We illustrate how different types of languages have different roles in different Indigenous communities, the traditional languages, newer contact languages like creoles, and Englishes. Understanding local language strengths and how various language configurations affect engagement and participation impacts on communication and learning needs and aspirations. Indigenous communities are over-represented in critical areas – such as lower school retention and chronic health issues. Factoring in the roles played by different languages in their communities is integral to changing this situation.

Our lecture is based on research supported by ARC grant SR200200646, Understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language ecologies, undertaken with Prof Emerita Jane Simpson (ANU), Assoc Prof Carmel O’Shannessy (ANU), Dr Susan Poetsch (USyd) and Dr Sally Dixon (UNE).

This lecture is co-hosted by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the Australian National University.

Images ©Jasmine Seymour

Presenters: 

Denise Angelo

Denise is a researcher in the School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics at the Australian National University and a sessional lecturer in the Master of Indigenous Languages Education (MILE) at the University of Sydney. She works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in different language ecologies on their traditional languages and contact languages and also on learning English as an Additional language. Her research interests include describing languages, language teaching and learning, language curriculum and resources, contact languages and their recognition, language policy and language ecologies, past and present.

Bernadine Yeatman

Bernadine is a Yidinji woman from the Yarrabah Aboriginal Community in Far North Queensland. She is a fully trained teacher and a member of Yarrabah State School’s leadership team. Bernadine also conducts key language research in her community, raising awareness and achieving recognition for ‘Yarrie Lingo’, the creole language spoken at Yarrabah. Her ground-breaking work in developing the Yarrabah Community Vernacular Language Poster has inspired similar initiatives in other Aboriginal communities across Queensland. In this work she brought community members together to explore the historical conditions that gave rise to the local creole. In addition, she is an active advocate for the English language learning support needed for Yarrabah students in English-medium classrooms and has led action-research projects such as the Language of Maths in her own school and beyond. Bernadine has also assisted with forging a place for teaching the traditional languages of place, Gunggay-Yidiny, in an Aboriginal community of super diverse language backgrounds.

Carmel Ryan

Carmel Ryan is an Arrernte language and culture teacher, with over 30 years’ experience in classrooms in Alice Springs and in her home community of Ltyentye Apurte. She has taught both Arrernte and non-Indigenous learners of all age groups from pre-school through to older adults. In the 1980s, Carmel undertook courses in own language literacy at the Institute for Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs, and worked with non-Indigenous linguists on dictionary-making, translating and creating Arrernte resources. She also completed the Remote Aboriginal Teacher Education (RATE) program through Batchelor College (now Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE)) and later completed the Bachelor of Education through La Trobe University. She is committed to keeping Arrernte language strong in younger generations. She was an active participant in creating the ground-breaking Intelyapelyape Arrernte Curriculum in the 1990s, which integrated development of children’s L1 with development of their understanding of their culture and Country, and put community involvement at the forefront of preschool and school programs – principles that continue to drive Carmel’s teaching today. Carmel also mentors young Arrernte Assistant Teachers in her school, to develop their teaching skills, L1 literacy competency and deeper knowledge of culture and Country.

Corina Norman

Corina Norman is a Dharug and Dharawal woman. Corina is a qualified teacher and a First Nations language activist and advocate with a Masters of Indigenous Languages Education from the University of Sydney. She is currently also undertaking a Masters by Research at Western Sydney University. Together with Jasmine Seymour she is leading the research, development and delivery of Dharug community language lessons at sites across Sydney, as part of the Dharug Dalang ‘Dharug language’ project. She collaborates with other Dharug Custodians, in reigniting the Dharug language and culture and is regularly invited to speak about this work by education bodies and media. She has event experience and works as a multi-disciplinary artist, teacher, language consultant, weaver and has an interest in respectful memorialisation. She facilitates cultural knowledge in a contemporary framework through OnCountry immersion programs for community, Government and other organisations.

Jasmine Seymour

Jasmine Seymour is a Dharug woman belonging to the Burubiranggal people, descended from Maria Lock and Yarramundi. Jasmine has a Masters degree in Indigenous Languages Education (University of Sydney) and is a Dharug language teacher and language activist. She is deeply committed to Aboriginal education and is the secretary of the Da Murrytoola Aboriginal Education Consultancy Group (AECG) and is a qualified primary school teacher (BEd) in Western Sydney where she teaches the Dharug language. Jasmine is currently also enrolled in a Masters by Research at Western Sydney University. Together with Corina Norman she is leading the research, development and delivery of Dharug community language lessons at sites across Sydney, as part of the Dharug Dalang ‘Dharug language’ project. Jasmine is the author /illustrator of Baby Business, winner of the CBCA Best New Illustrator Award in 2020, and is also the author of the 2020 Prime Minister’s Literary Award winning children’s title, Cooee Mittigar, illustrated by Leanne Mulgo Watson. She has also worked as a researcher, collaborating with Grace Karskens on the Real Secret River project and is a co-curator for the Dyarubin exhibition at the State Library of NSW.

Marmingee Hand

Marmingee Hand is a Walmajarri woman based in Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Marmingee has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Management and Aboriginal Community Development), Bachelor of Education and a Masters of Indigenous Languages Education. She has worked in and advocated for Aboriginal education most of her life, with a particular focus on culturally responsive, two way education, including leading the introduction of Aboriginal languages and Two-way Science in her school. She is a qualified teacher, who teaches Walmajarri and coordinates and supports the school Aboriginal languages program which includes the Bunuba and Gooniyandi languages also. She has a deep commitment to community health and well-being and community knowledge. She has extensive experience as a researcher and co-author in the areas of health with the Lililwan project on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in remote Aboriginal Communities and the longitudinal Bigiswun Kid project), in culture and the environment (Voices of Martuwarra Fitzroy River; Two-way Science) and on Aboriginal languages teaching (From the Ground Up).

Tara Bonney

Tara Bonney is a proud Boandik and Nharrunga woman who is currently living on Boandik Country in Mount Gambier, South Australia. Tara is a qualified high school science teacher and has been studying in the Masters in Indigenous Language Education (MILE) course at Sydney University. She has compiled a Bunganditj language curriculum framework for the South Australian Department of Education and currently works as a Bunganditj language consultant for the Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation where she manages translation requests from the public and works on developing teaching and learning resources. These roles have allowed her to further develop her understanding of Bunganditj, as well as inspiring her to help increase language knowledge within the Boandik community, for younger and older members.