To Speak Or Not to Speak
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To speak or not to speak How important is the Gathang language to Worimi culture and identity? 27102921 Contents Contents Page 2 Introduction Page 3 Log Page 5 Chapter One The purpose of language for Aboriginal peoples Page 7 Chapter Two Is language related to culture? Page 10 Chapter Three What is the Gathang language? Page 13 The relationship between the Gathang language and Worimi Chapter Four Page 15 cultural identity Chapter Five The loss of Aboriginal languages in the 21st century Page 18 Chapter Six Loss or rejuvenation? Page 20 Conclusion Page 23 Resource List Page 25 Page 2 Introduction Before European contact, over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages were spoken, including over 600 dialects. Today, 145 traditional languages are still vocalised in Australia, however just 18 remain strong and spoken by a range of people of all ages.1 How this colossal loss of language would influence Aboriginal culture and identity for future generations flourished as a personal topic of interest. As an Aboriginal woman living on Worimi country, I decided to investigate the traditional language of this area, the Gathang language, and its potential to influence Worimi culture and identity. Continuity and change is extensively examined throughout my PIP. I have explored how traditional languages have remained highly regarded as an important component of Aboriginal culture, along with the enduring connection between the Gathang language and Worimi identity; whilst also conveying the loss of language due to the nature of European settlement, and the contemporary push for language revitalisation. Throughout my research, I also addressed a cross-cultural component. Because I identify as a Wiradjuri person and cannot speak the Gathang language, I was exposed to innovative perspectives and understandings about Aboriginal culture and identity by those who do know the Gathang language, which in turn heightened my social and cultural literacy. 1 J Buckskin, Australian Voices, 2012 https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Australian-voices.pdf (Accessed 16/6/15) Page 3 Due to the triangulation of primary research (which contained two focus groups, four interviews, and personal reflection), along with copious secondary research; I was exposed to boundless knowledge about not only my local Worimi history, but also general Aboriginal history and life before European colonisation. It occurred to me that by learning about and immersing myself in my traditional culture, my sense of identity and Aboriginality prospered. The interviews I conducted were tremendously valuable to the advancement of my PIP. All four interviewees directly related to the core of my focus question, however from differing angles. Two linguistic experts, a Worimi elder, and a Gathang language TAFE teacher all offered unique, cultivated answers in relation to Aboriginal language and its influence on culture and identity. Due to my interviewees all being adults, I incorporated two focus groups of varied demographics and gender in order to acquire a comprehensive assortment of insights. One focus group consisted of eight students who participated in a Gathang language course, and the other consisted of eight Aboriginal people whom could not speak Gathang. Overall my methodologies, including personal reflection and secondary research, allowed me to gain diverse qualitative data that I was able to contrast, compare and interpret. The journey of developing my PIP continues to enrich my understanding of my own culture and identity. Discovering the significance of traditional Aboriginal languages and the power they have to sway culture and identity has educated me to develop stronger connections to my own cultural identity within my micro world. Although in past times, my family history had been somewhat secreted, I now desire to unveil my personal Aboriginal history and ancestral connections; as well as to encourage language revival in the local Worimi area. Page 4 Log The initial process of determining an area of study proved to be a huge challenge for me. I juxtaposed between various ideas and contextualised notions that related to my own micro and meso world experiences. I considered feminist-based topics, the socialisation process and body image (to name a few). I soon realised that nothing concerned and intrigued me more than my own Aboriginal heritage. I contemplated the contemporary issues currently facing Aboriginal Australians, and with further reflection upon my personal experiences, I developed a broad topic investigating language erosion and language awareness within the Aboriginal community. With further refining, I decided to shift this to a more specific focus concentrating on the influence the Gathang language has over Worimi culture and identity, the language and tribe of my local area. I began my secondary research hoping to find useful information, current statistics, and proficient studies revolving around Aboriginal language attrition in Australia, as well as the link between language, culture and identity. Predominantly through online research along with various books, I scrutinised a plethora of resources that momentously assisted the development of my PIP. Such data allowed me to attain authoritative opinions (which in turn increased validity), became the framework of my chapters, and funnelled the course of my project. However due the specificity of my topic, which relates explicitly to the Gathang language and the Worimi people, I relied heavily on my primary sources to further fortify my research. I conducted four interviews and two focus groups, which shaped an accommodating range of qualitative data that precisely focused on my central question. The analysis of this qualitative data allowed me to obtain an in-depth understanding of the issue through detailed, conceptual portrayals of the attitudes, beliefs and opinions of people in reference to traditional language loss and it’s long- term effects on culture and identity. Page 5 After collating the results of my four interviews, I began to consider the reliability, accuracy and validity of this methodology. Despite my interviewees having different occupations, levels of education and hometowns; I realised that all four people were of approximately similar ages. This narrow demographic would dramatically hinder the validity of my results. In order to broaden my range of acuities, I incorporated two focus groups consisting of people aged 13-44. These focus groups proved to be exceedingly beneficial and accomplished a diverse array of insights. Unfortunately, my results may have been biased due to the small sample sizes, and the presence of two Aboriginal education workers, who have the power and authority to make the younger participants sometimes reluctant to express their opinions. Although my PIP journey was challenging and at sometimes stressful; it was also satisfying, empowering and certainly boosted my time management and organisational skills. Being exposed to such wide range of knowledge from bounteous perspectives (linguistic experts, a teacher, an elder, Gathang speakers and Worimi people) has amplified my understanding of my own culture and identity, and has challenged me to strive for language revival and continuity within the Aboriginal community. Page 6 Chapter One The purpose of language for Aboriginal peoples Language is a complex method of human communication that can be both verbalised and written. A language system is fundamental for social interactions within micro, meso and macro operations; as well as maintaining social relationships and control. It is common for individuals to overlook the power and substance of languages and traditional languages. “Traditionally, language is viewed as a code. In this view, language is made up of words and a series of rules that connect words together.”2 This rudimentary description represents language as “fixed and finite and does not explore the complexities involved.”3 Such a constricted view ignores the many dimensions of language, and for the purpose of my PIP, my definition has been rehabilitated to portray such intricacies that will be further discussed throughout my project. Dr. Raymond Kelly, an academic cultural standards coordinator from the University of Newcastle, supports a multifaceted elucidation of language, with his metaphorical statement, “Language is intrinsic. It holds knowledge of events, the movement of tides and the placement of the sun.”4 He also claimed that “language gives us the ability to vision,”5 eloquently promoting the power of language and its ability to express all forms of human knowledge and experience. 2 A Scarino; A Liddicoat, Language, Culture and Learning, 2009 http://www.tllg.unisa.edu.au/lib_guide/gllt_ch2.pdf (Accessed 10/10/14) 3 ibid 4 Dr. Raymond Kelly: Interview (23/02/15) 5 ibid Page 7 Language and culture consultant for the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, Dr. Shayne Williams, also indicates a dimensional depiction of language by stating, “It is useful to think of language as a constantly growing and changing human phenomenon.”6 Viewing language as an evolving occurrence is an effective manner of perceiving Aboriginal languages, which have been forced to adapt radically throughout history. Dr. William’s also believed, “it is very reasonable to assume most Aboriginal languages in Australia created new words as they came across new objects, species and the like.”7 Before involuntary assimilation, the addition of new words to complement the arrival of