Wominjeka Melbourne! Why we need to teach kids First Nations languages | OPINION by Deputy lord mayor of Melbourne Nicholas_Reece
It may still be an unfamiliar word to many Melburnians but for thousands of years it has been the common greeting of “Hello / Welcome” for the Wurundjeri people, the traditional owners of Melbourne.Australia is home to the oldest continuous culture in the world. Yet an important part of that culture, Aboriginal language, is being lost.
Australia could learn a lot from the New Zealand experience where there has been an upswing in people learning the Maori language. The task is made much harder in Australia because there are so many different Aboriginal languages. But that does not mean significant progress cannot be made. The Victorian government began an Aboriginal Languages in Schools program in 2011. This has seen the number of students studying Indigenous languages increase dramatically from 23 to 1867 in 2019, with 14 state schools and 160 kindergartens involved.Why not follow the New Zealand example and set a target for all schools to teach the basic elements of Aboriginal language. Students could learn greetings, the names of animals, family members, colours and so on.
In many municipalities across Australia, including the City of Melbourne, there is a process underway to look at dual names or more respectful names for many locations, to better reflect Aboriginal cultural heritage.
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