Back from the brink - ABC Online

Earlier this month the federal government released its National Cultural Policy which saw $236 million committed to new funding for the arts and cultural sector. To the delight of Newcastle-based Awabakal language workers, Jacqui Allen and Terri-Lee Darcy, $14 million of new funding was awarded to Indigenous language programs.

Research shows that up to 90 per cent of the world's 7,000 languages could be lost by the end of the century and Australian Indigenous languages top the endangered list.

"Language holds the key to culture," explained Jacqui, who develops Awabakal language teaching resources for children. "If we gave non-Indigenous people the chance to learn our language, they might understand and respect our culture just a little bit more."

For Terri-Lee, whose maternal great grandfather was one of the last full-blooded descendents of the Awabakal people, learning the language has changed her life. "I was originally training to be a mechanic, but I landed a job as a language researcher at Miromaa and I haven't looked back," she smiled.

"It gives us that sense of belonging, our independence. It's also the recognition of our people before us; without it, we're completely different people."

For the past 10 years, the dedicated team at the Awabakal Language Centre (now Miromaa Aboriginal Language and Technology Centre) has been working to document and revive the language. They also create innovative teaching resources that can be adapted by other Indigenous language workers in Australia and around the world.

Bringing a language back from the brink of extinction is no easy task. "Usually it's a lot of research," said Jacqui. "We're lucky enough to have documents from the missionaries who came out here and recorded the language...including the Gospel of Luke translated into Awabakal!"

In some cases, the documents trace back to the 1800s, which presented Jacqui with an unexpected challenge. "Teaching yourself to read very old English handwriting is one of the factors as well!"

Once the language has been documented, the focus switches to dissemination. Both Jacqui and Terri-Lee are working towards a goal of raising greater awareness of the Awabakal language throughout the wider community.

Jacqui pointed out that even understanding the meaning behind a single word can provide a window into Indigenous culture and history. She recounted the story of a Dreaming site at the entrance of Lake Macquarie.

"It's called 'Mulangbula' in Awabakal which means 'two women'," she said. The word denotes a story of two women who "did something they're not supposed to do" and were turned to stone.

"They're now the guardians of the lake, of Awabakal," Jacqui said. "They'd warn us of anything coming into the lake."

The stones used to stand between six to eight feet high but the once imposing boulders have eroded over time. To anybody looking at the site now, they are barely visible. The Dreaming story lives on in the Awabakal language name given to the area.

"The language gives you that sense of being and of place," reflected Jacqui. "It also strengthens your pride within yourself about being an Aboriginal person."

Click to the right to hear more delightful stories from Jacqui Allen and Terri-Lee Darcy about the Awabakal language revival.