$2.6M for Indigenous Language Projects
20 February 2014 at 9:17 am
Forty-two new projects aimed at preserving Indigenous languages will share $2.6 million in Federal Government funding.
Announcing the latest recipients of the Indigenous Languages Support program, Minister for the Arts Senator George Brandis, and Minister for Indigenous Affairs Senator Nigel Scullion said the Government is committed to helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples keep their languages alive.
“The Indigenous Languages Support program was established in 1991 and has been a vital tool for maintaining, reviving and sharing Indigenous languages,” Brandis said.
The investment will support 42 additional activities and enable communities to develop culturally appropriate learning resources across a range of new media and through partnerships with schools, cultural organisations and libraries.
“Australian Government support for the protection of Indigenous languages is also an investment in the rich cultural heritage of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, protecting and preserving it for future generations,” Senator Scullion said.
“Many community groups will use the funding to digitise existing language learning resources. Audio and video content will be developed to make languages more accessible to more people in communities across Australia.”
Examples of funded projects include:
- In Western Australia, Nyamba Buru Yawuru will establish a web page, a smartphone dictionary and phrase book app, as well as animations and interactive resources to support the teaching of the Yawuru language in school and at home.
- In the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory Library will create engaging language resources for a number of Indigenous languages. These will have a wide appeal and a range of uses, based on the simple flash card concept with added audio and video content.
This funding responds to recommendations made in a 2012 report from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, regarding language learning in Indigenous communities.
Full details about the Indigenous Languages Support program and earlier grant funding recipients can be found here.
