Ministerial Statement – Aboriginal Languages
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The Hon. Dr Andrew Refshauge, MP
NSW Parliament
8 November 2001
Traditional languages are vital to helping Aboriginal people maintain their identity, reinforce their culture and improve their self-esteem. A recent report on Aboriginal languages in New South Wales states: Language is at the core of cultural identity. It links people to their land, it protects history through story and song, it holds the key to kinship systems.
Language is a major factor in people retaining their cultural identity and many say, "If the Language is strong, then Culture is strong."
Aboriginal communities have identified the maintenance of Aboriginal language as a priority for Aboriginal people. It is also supported by the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the National Commitment to Improved Outcomes in the Delivery of Services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and the recent "Bringing them home" report.
Two hundred and twenty years ago there would have been fifty or more Aboriginal languages or dialects across the area that was to become New South Wales. However, with the loss of land and autonomy, Aboriginal languages and cultures were enormously eroded. Over the past two centuries Aboriginal people have been discouraged and at times forbidden from using or teaching their language. As a result, some New South Wales Aboriginal languages have fallen into disuse, while others have few surviving fluent speakers. Although some languages are rarely spoken, Aboriginal languages are not dead. Those languages can be and are being revived. Research suggests that bilingual education leads to higher literacy rates.
Anecdotal evidence from schools currently teaching Aboriginal languages strongly suggests that Aboriginal children learning their language improves their general literacy significantly. Especially for young Aboriginal people, it helps them feel valued for their diversity, it maintains their cultural identity, and it improves their educational achievement. While there are a number of Aboriginal programs in New South Wales, we need to do more to ensure the revival and long-term survival of Aboriginal languages.
Today I am pleased to announce that we are developing a New South Wales Aboriginal languages policy. This is an Australian first. The importance of preserving New South Wales Aboriginal languages is reinforced by the rapid rate at which the world's language diversity is shrinking. Half of the world's 6,800 languages are likely to vanish within two generations. That is one language lost every 10 days. Never before has the planet's linguistic diversity shrunk at such a pace. What makes a language endangered is not only the number of speakers but also how old they are. If children speak the language, it is relatively safe. If, like in New South Wales, mainly the elderly speak it and it is not being learned by the young, it is in critical danger of extinction.
Western nations are attempting to redress this situation by passing legislation and enacting policies and programs designed to preserve the languages of their indigenous peoples. In New Zealand the Maori Language Strategic Plan outlines ways in which the Government can help Maori people revitalise their language. In Canada there is strong support for the preservation of indigenous languages. In the United States of America in 1992, former President George Bush signed into law the Native American Languages Act to help ensure the survival and continuing vitality of native American languages. That international trend is important.
The New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs will be working on the policy with the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, the New South Wales Office of the Board of Studies, as well as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. In addition, there will be consultation with a range of Aboriginal and educational groups. Under consideration will be the existing funding, and whether we are getting best value for our expenditure. The policy is likely to develop protocols about who teaches Aboriginal languages, and whether restrictions should apply on which language is taught in what areas. A draft policy will be released for broader discussion. By working with Aboriginal people to maintain their languages we are also working to maintain the pride and dignity of their culture.
