Reviving and preserving our ancient languages

Pama Language Centre (PLC) is dedicated to reviving and preserving the fragile languages of Cape York Peninsula.

Established in 2015, PLC employs 3 linguists, a technical/creative team of 3 and Indigenous Language Experts based in Hope Vale, Aurukun, Bamaga, Injinoo and New Mapoon.

Karin Calley is the General Manager of PLC.

‘Pama Language Centre's Cape York Languages Survey conducted in collaboration with University of Queensland in 2016 identified 149 language varieties belonging to 50 language variety clusters,’ Karin said.

‘All Cape York languages are shifting and most are extremely endangered.’

The loss of language transmission in Cape York is a result of frontier violence, forced removals and past government and mission policy where the speaking of Indigenous languages was often severely punished.

Pama Languages Press (PLP), established by Pama Language Centre in 2017 plays an important part in revitalising and promoting Cape York languages.

PLP mentors First Nations authors and illustrators to create original texts and translations in their ancestral languages. PLP’s growing list of products includes both print and read aloud ebooks for children, educational resources, song books and poetry.

Pamamooves Production brings together elders and youth to record and film a range of high-quality resources for teaching, learning and sharing ancestral languages.

Pamamooves Lesson Builder for Fragile Languages is a shared library of animations illustrating verb actions, changes of state, personal pronoun paradigms and cultural practices. This library is freely available to Indigenous language champions for the development of resources for recording, revitalisation and maintenance of fragile languages.

As song is important for learning and sharing languages as well as a strong tool for community bonding, PLC has developed two song-based language programs.

Songs on Country is a project facilitated by composer and music educator Joshua McHugh who works with Elders, linguists and children in Hope Vale, Aurukun and the Northern Peninsula Area to write and record original songs in ancestral languages.

In 2018 and 2019, the Singing Back Our Languages Choir Program conducted ancestral language choir workshops in collaboration with schools in four Cape York communities.

‘I hope that in the near future, funding will become available for language teaching in  schools, as well as for increasing support for language transmission in homes and communities,’ Karin said.

Read the first of our stories about how the ancient Yadhaykenu language is being revived and preserved through story and song.