Week 5: Learning Language

As I was writing my first reflective paper for Indigenous Art, Culture and Design on the Tjanpi Desert Weavers, I came across many words in Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytatjara and Ngaanyatjarra languages:

tjanpi - all kinds of grasses, grass, dry grass, spinifex grasses (NPY)

anangu - person, human (PY)

kalaya - emu (P)

kapi - water (NPY)

kuwaripatjara - in the beginning, originally, before (PY)

lirru - snake (N)

manguri - head ring, circular pad placed on the head for carrying (NPY)

mama - father (NPY)

ngunytju - mother (NPY)

tjilku - child, children (N)

palya - good, okay (NPY)

piranpa - white, white person (PY)

punu  - tree, bush, plant, stick, wood, timber, wooden, carving, wooden artefact, useful wooden implement or tool, thing (PY)

tjala - honey ant (PY)

Tjukurpa - ancestral story, law, 'dreaming' (P)

wakani - piercing, stabbing, sewing, spearing (PY)

wipiya - emu feathers (NPY)

yirlpa - perentie lizard (N)

[Source: P Watson (ed.), Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Macmillan Art Publishing, Australia, 2012]

It is particularly interesting that the word punu can mean at least 11 different things! I think it is fantastic to have the opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal languages. It is upsetting that Australia is one of the only places where we do not learn indigenous languages compulsorily, especially as part of school curriculums. I think it is selfish to assume that everyone learns and can speak English, even in Australia, and I think we need to do the best we can to meet people at least half way with being able to communicate through language. It is an incredible feat that many people of Aboriginal heritage can speak both English and their Indigenous dialects, making us the less educated ones. If Aboriginal children can be bilingual, we need to do our best to achieve this too.