Indigenous Language Revival

My family and cultural links are from South-West Queensland, which is the top end of the Kamilaroi Nation. I have worked within a range of roles within the Queensland Education Department for a period of 21 years – these roles have included Primary Teacher, Secondary Guidance Officer, Administration, Policy and Curriculum Development. In 2002 I established Dhinawun Consultancy to provide educational consultancy activities including curriculum development, Aboriginal language and cultural studies programs, professional development for school staff as well as school-community partnerships. Currently I am employed as the Indigenous Languages Coordinator for the State Library of Queensland to coordinate and support activities under the State Library’s Indigenous Languages Strategy. This work entails researching the State Library Collections for language materials as well as conducting research/training workshops to enhance capacity of community to manage their language revival. 2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages and I am supporting State Library’s offer for the year which includes exhibitions and programming to raise awareness of Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

Sandra Delaney is a Nunagal Goenbal Ngugi woman who is currently involved in Jandai language research and teaching to support the reclamation of Jandai and Gower language on country. Sandra is also a senior artist and author and has published several books on Quandamooka culture. Recently she published and illustrated two language teaching books for children.

She has served as consultant community language consultant on Jandai language with various community projects to incorporate Jandai language and has been consulted about numerous place-naming initiatives and other Jandai naming activity. Sandra works closely with members of the Quandamooka community to reclaim the language from historical materials and to develop the language for use in a range of contemporary contexts.
In 1993, Sandra was an original committee member of the Jandai Aboriginal Corporation. In 1995, Sandra produced a Jandai language poster with Quandamooka women and children focussing on body parts. Sandra also worked with Minjerribah-Moorgumpin Elders In Council members and linguist Colleen Hattersley to assist and provide advice for the Jandai Language Dictionary (2011).