Yanda Biratj group look to introduce Indigenous language in schools

On Wednesday, July 19 the Yanda Biratj (Eden Language) group hosted a community language lesson for local Aboriginal people who were interested in learning language and or being a member of the Yanda Biratj group.

The language used on the day is known as the 'South Coast language as spoken by Elders', which is made up of words from the different language groups within the Yuin nation.

These words were documented by local Elders, some of whom have passed, over the last three to four decades.

The language lesson day enabled the various attendees to get together and share stories and discuss the potential of gradually introducing the language in local schools.

Bega Elder Annette Scott said she had been moved to see the progress in the inclusion of Indigenous culture and language within the community.

"We used to not be allowed to talk about our language in schools and now we can see pride in youth who want to share it with their peers in class," she said.

Aunty Annette explained that in her youth and for a several generations after, her language hadn't been allowed or accepted in schools.

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Aunty Annette said she was excited to see young leaders taking a keen interest in learning from their Elders and taking pride in their cultural identity.

"I'm always excited to see our young people getting involved and the young men today like Nathan Lygon and Kayne Arvidson who lead a great example in their community and bring about positive change," she said.

Lumen Christi Catholic College, Year 9 student, Kayne Arvidson, said he has been interested in learning the South Coast language as spoken by Elders since he was very young.

"I just felt that learning my culture, my language and being immersed in all of it, has just made me feel so much better and made me feel more brave," he said.

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Kayne said he felt honoured to join the language group and learn how to pass on language, which he said makes him feel proud of his heritage.

"I'm grateful I get to be connected to my Elders and my culture by hearing everyone's stories of what they've been through and seeing the change that has been made along with what is to come," he said.

Kayne said he was also looking forward to teaching the language in his school.

From the Indigenous community members present on the day, several representatives from local schools across the Bega Valley were present.

These included Bega Valley Public School assistant principal Michelle Scott, Eden Marine High School Aboriginal Officer Stacy Timms Muscat, Lumen Christi Aboriginal education worker Tamika Gaudie and Rocky Hall Preschool director Jodie Dickinson.

Bega Valley Public School assistant principal Michell Scott said it was very important to provide the opportunity for students to learn the local Indigenous language from an early age.

"Firstly for our Indigenous students and then our non-Indigenous students because I think it's important that our kids have ownership first," she said.

Michell said seeing all the representatives gathered on the day learning the language that had been collected by Elders over the last 30 to 40 years, reminded her that their language had never been lost.

"I remember someone telling me something that stuck in my mind, they said 'we've never lost it, we've reclaimed it. It just went underground'," she said.

Language teacher and member of the Yanda Biratj language group, Noeleen Lumby, travelled to the Far South Coast especially, so she could attend in person and pass on her experience in teaching.

Having completed a master of Indigenous Languages Education (MILE) at the University of Sydney, Ms Lumby was well equipped to help the group learn how to teach languages in schools.

"It gave me those skills to be able to go into schools and help support teachers with language, which I have now got a fair bit of experience with," she said.

Ms Lumby taught the members present on the day three different methods of teaching the language, phonetically, with visual prompts and by sign language.

"When you're engaging with three different ways of learning, you understand the language a lot quicker," she said.

The language lesson day hosted on the Wednesday, July 19, was part of a week long visit for Ms Lumby.

Earlier that week she had met up with Nathan Lygon from Twofold Corporation to look closely at the words collected in the language dictionary the Yanda Biratj group has been working on over the last decades.

Over the following days Ms Lumby then showed the members of the group different methods of teaching that would help keep kids engaged in classrooms.

"I'm developing a 10 week lesson plan for them, so they can just walk in there and do a lesson every week," she said.

Yanda Biratj group member Alison Simpson said the language group had started off with Sue Norman who had been a coordinator of the project for more than 20 years.

Initially working with a small group of elders: Beryl Cruse, Liddy Stewart, Ossie Cruse and Shirley Aldridge visited families along the NSW south coast to record language.

"Over the span of 30 or 40 years they have been involved in collecting the language and then Sue and Nathan worked closely to pull it together," Ms Simpson said.

Nowadays the group consists of local community members who have a passion for sustaining the legacy of the Elders in documenting and sharing the language and do so in a voluntary capacity.

"We're fortunate to have a core group of people who are passionate about it, to continue it you know, because otherwise it'd go back to sleep," she said.

Ms Simpson said she was very excited to see that they were finally reaching the stage where they could respectfully share the language with the local community.

"Our work is about us maintaining that legacy of what the Elders have done and putting the protocols in place so that we can share the language but also protect it."

Ms Simpson said when visiting a new country, the first efforts to connect with the people, usually required travellers to learn the language.

Therefore she thinks introducing the native language more widely, is important not only for tourism but also for the country's healing overall.

"Language brings people back to their origins and all the stories that come along with that," she said.

"You can't live without language and if you didn't have a voice, you'd use body language and sign language which goes to show how crucial it is."

Ms Simpson said when the native tongue was spoken there was also a very spiritual element to it.

"When you speak the language the ancestors can hear you because that's all they spoke. So when you're speaking that language it's like everything wakes up," she said.

"Our culture is extremely spiritual and it's deep spirituality will never die, no matter how much it was massacred, it's still here."

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Ms Simpson said seeing her people reclaiming the language and culture was so important as she could see it strengthening people's cultural identity and contribute to healing.

"My passion is about healing the trauma because if we heal the trauma, then we change behaviours and attitudes, which breaks the cycle and strengthens cultural identity," she said.

"Which is why language is so important, because it's the mother tongue you know, we used it in our ceremonies and it just connects us back to country."

Ms Simpson said she felt nothing but elated during the language lesson day at Jigamy, seeing community gathered again, ready to implement more positive changes.

"Sitting around and listening to everyone in the room today and hearing the enthusiasm, excitement, stories, and respect that exists within the group was amazing," she said.

"There's wasn't one person saying they owned the language but instead everyone wanted to share it and understood that it is said a little differently in other areas, because really, our language came from our ancestors, from the earth, trees and our surroundings."

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