$4m Aboriginal Languages boost as new grant round opens

This new funding builds on the $3.9 million delivered in 2023, double the Coalition Government's spend in 2022.

The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris announced the funding while visiting one of the grant recipients, First Linguists, in the town of Brewarrina on Thursday.

First Linguists, supported by Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council, will receive a $15,000 grant to develop workshops to revitalise and preserve the Ngemba, Ualarai, Murrawarri and Kimilaroi Languages.

The NSW Government investment, via the Aboriginal Languages Trust (ALT), will empower Aboriginal people and organisations across the state deliver events, initiatives and projects tailored to the needs of their communities.

Aboriginal languages are central to Aboriginal culture and vital to sustaining traditional knowledge.

The growth and strengthening of Aboriginal Languages and Culture is also a key outcome for Closing the Gap, a national commitment to improve outcomes for Aboriginal people. 

NSW remains the only jurisdiction in Australia to enact legislation that recognises the importance of Aboriginal Languages and establishes mechanisms for a focused investment in their revitalisation.

In 2023/24 the Aboriginal Languages Trust offered six grant programs, including a new Educational Scholarship Program, which aims to contribute to the growth of Aboriginal Languages by supporting individuals to pursue languages training and education.

Among the many projects the grants will support, include:

• Warren Performing Arts and Language Place Incorporated will record four original songs in the Wayilwan Language and deliver Community Language workshops at Warren in central-west NSW
• Walhallow Local Aboriginal Land Council near Tamworth will create an animation to tell the Dreamtime story of Yurrandaali, the main totem for Aboriginal people of the Liverpool Plains
• Elders will deliver on country language workshops for Aboriginal young people on Bundjalung Land in northern NSW
• Leeton and District Local Aboriginal Land Council will create four 360-degree interactive videos filmed on country and digitally animated to explore a world using Wiradyuri/Wiradjuri Language in 3D
• Newara Aboriginal Corporation will employ an Anaiwan Language Project Officer and Facilitator, a role vital to supporting Newara as the primary Language organisation and hub for the Anaiwan community in Armidale
• Winangakirri Aboriginal Corporation will employ two Language support workers, a contract Linguist and Archivist, to develop Language learning materials for Community use
• Blake Cusack will be one of six recipients of the Aboriginal Languages Education Scholarship Program. Blake currently works full time as a Gumbaynggirr language teacher at Gumbaynggirr Giigana Freedom School in Coffs Harbour.

Apply for a NSW Aboriginal Languages Week 2024 grant

Aboriginal organisations and groups in NSW are now invited to apply for grants to hold events and activities celebrating NSW Aboriginal Languages Week 2024 from 20 to 27 October.

Grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 are available for initiatives to celebrate Aboriginal Languages across NSW, including community events, exhibitions, language classes and language workshops.

In its second year, NSW Aboriginal Languages Week aims to celebrate and promote languages with a broad range of stakeholders and audiences through a series of events, programs and promotional activities.

NSW Aboriginal Languages week also recognises the passing of the Aboriginal Languages legislation, which came into law on 24 October 2017.

Applications are open until 6 September 2024. For more information, visit the ALT website, www.alt.nsw.gov.au

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:

"Aboriginal communities and organisations are delivering critical work to ensure the first languages of New South Wales are strengthened today, for generations to come.

"Aboriginal languages are a core aspect of our state's cultural heritage that must be protected and celebrated.

"It's pleasing to see the diverse activity happening in this space and to be able to support Aboriginal organisations and people to be change makers."

Executive Director, Aboriginal Languages Trust Clare McHugh said:

"Increased engagement by new and returning community organisations demonstrates that funding is leading to a proliferation of activities and programs across NSW that are strengthening Aboriginal languages.

"Each community has their own Language needs and priorities, and their own timeline.

"This year we're really seeing the positive impact of sustained support for communities, with languages going from strength to strength in numerous regions.

"Other communities seeing that progress have been encouraged to seek funding for the first time, expanding the Trust's impact."

First Linguists Director Melissa Kirby said:

"We are very grateful for the NSW Government's support to allow the Brewarrina community to finally govern their traditional language space.

"The funding enables First Linguists employees to recognise and build the talent in a traditional language speech Pod with the aim to grow more speakers of Ngemba."