One of Australia’s biggest Aboriginal language groups, Noongar (spoken in Western Australia’s south-west) is set to be preserved with the creation of an Aboriginal online encyclopaedia.
The idea to pursue creation of an encyclopaedia emerged after keen interest was voiced by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians to learn more about one of the world’s oldest languages.
Previous investigations estimate 240 people currently use Noongar as their first-language with 8000 speaking a mixture of English and Noongar words and phrases. There are more than 30,000 Noongar people living in Western Australia.
The three-year project brings together a diverse team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous media and cultural scholars investigating how minority languages can thrive and be passed from one generation to the next using Internet technology and new media.
Read more at The University of Western Australia