Saving a Critically Endangered Language in Australia
People in Australia are leading efforts to save a critically endangered language. At one time, around 300 indigenous languages were spoken on the continent.
Europeans arrived in Australia in the late 1700s. Colonization had a harmful effect on indigenous languages. Today, only about 60 indigenous languages are considered “alive” and in daily use.
Many non-indigenous Australians mistake indigenous languages for dialects of one larger language. In fact, each of the 300 indigenous languages were about as different from each other as Russian is from French.
In the central Australian desert near Alice Springs, only 20 people are fluent in Pertame, a language native to the area. But now, children are being taught its ancient words in order to keep it alive.
Kathleen Bradshaw and Christobel Swan are among the indigenous elders working to keep the Pertame language alive. Swan is the founder of the Pertame School, which opened in Alice Springs two years ago. Bradshaw is a teacher at the school.
At Pertame School, children not only learn the language, but also cook traditional food, learn history and visit places that are important to the community.
“There are only a few of us left to teach our kids how our old people used to live,” Bradshaw said.
Swan, an expert on languages, has worked for many years at the Institute of Aboriginal Development. With the group’s help, she has published language books on Pertame.
Aboriginal Australians now make up about just 3 percent of Australia’s population. Social inequality is still a major issue for the indigenous peoples of Australia.
