Struggle for languages

IMAGINE locking yourself in a 45-degree room just to talk your traditional tongue, afraid of the consequences if heard by others.

The threat of punishment was a reality for many Indigenous Australians. Today, passing on culture and language to younger generations is of vital importance.

“Language is everything. It is a huge part if not one of the main parts of our identity,” cultural educator and trainer with Goondir Health Services ThiraMayinj said.

“When it comes to traditional languages being spoken, there is next to none that is spoken in our district.

“However, I’m currently revitalising Muruwarri language which is my Mother’s language and also my Father’s language which is Mardigan.”

Thira-Mayinj said he and his partner spoke Muruwarri language to their children, and sang the language when performing with his Mura Biri Gururu Aboriginal Dancers group.

“Passing it on to my children is the best thing I could’ve done,” he said.

“It helps strengthen their identity and grounds them to their roots and where their traditional home is.”

Thira-Mayinj said two other men, Ngarrumban Thulaida and Miri Thaata Pakul, also spoke their languages.

“Ngarrumban Thulaida is revitalising and speaking his language Mandandanji/Gungari language, and Miri Thaata Pakul speaks and teaches Waka Waka language which is the mother tongue language and local language of this area,” he said.

Thira-Mayinj said the stolen generation had been forbidden to speak and practise their language.

As a result, it had a “massive impact” on the way it is taught today.

“The difficulties most people face is probably the fact that we all have been so influenced by the English language that a lot of mobs’ tongues aren’t trained enough to wrap around a lot of our language, which is very different,” he said. “This has changed the pronunciation in a lot of words in many ways which has caused mob to say the words the wrong way.

“This is why it’s really important to listen to the old tapes as traditional Aboriginal mobs of Australia never had a written language, everything was taught orally.

“Also locally, traditional language isn’t natural, and we have no natural speakers, so for locals in the district it’s hard to learn and talk language when there has been no exposure to it.”