<
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/dec/02/the-labour-of-love-breathing-life-back-into-palawa-kani-the-lost-language-of-lutruwita>
"The photograph on the wall of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre in Launceston
was taken 167 years ago. It shows a group of people including the most famous
Palawa woman, Trukanini, at a barracks at
Putalina/Oyster Cove. They are
survivors of Wybalenna, the barren Flinders Island internment camp where 300
Aboriginal Tasmanians captured by government-sponsored roving parties were
exiled in the 1830s. All but 47 died.
Under their resolute gaze, Daisy Allan is speaking in a language that was
painstakingly retrieved after the genocide of her people, her hands moving to
emphasise the words’ meaning.
The spring winds are fierce and have set off Allan’s allergies. “
Munathiya
nimina,” she says to two women who come to the door. “Grass sickness, hay
fever.”
Allan frequently speaks in the Tasmanian Aboriginal language,
palawa kani, to
other TAC staff. It’s part of her job as a language worker and, after 20 years
of studying it, she is confident and fluent.
The biggest hurdle when she began learning the language was finding other
speakers. Now they’re plentiful. There are language modules for every stage of
life, starting with songs to sing a baby in utero. Schoolchildren attend weekly
lessons. Resources are available to all Palawa people.
Unlike Allan’s generation and those of her parents, grandparents and
great-grandparents, Palawa children today are born knowing the sounds of their
language. They are the first to do so for 150 years.
“It just goes to show the resilience and the resistance of Tasmanian Aboriginal
people,” Allan says. “That we can stand strong against all odds, take pride in
ourselves, refuse that push that we don’t exist, that we don’t have a
language.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
