Ngaiawang Language Revived Along River Murray

0:00Here's more Adelaide news for February 26th. An ancient Aboriginal language called in Jaiowong is coming back to life along the River Murray in South Australia near the town of Morgan. Known locally as Rinsa, this river bin was once a hub for the language, but it faded after colonization displaced communities generations ago. Now, with federal funding, linguists from the mobile language team are partnering with the river Murray-Malley Aboriginal Corporation to revive it. They're building a written word list and picture book from seven old word lists recorded by explorers in the 1840s. Back then, spellings varied a lot, like the languages name being written as Iowong by one explorer who missed the sound. The community has settled on in Gaiowong, pronounced Naiowong to standardize it for everyone. Community members are deeply involved, drawing from their own family memories of similar words passed down orally. Women from nearby groups, like in Gintite and in Gangaruku, are creating artwork for the book and feeling a strong tie to their heritage. One artist connected

1:04words from archives to phrases her aunties used, helping reclaim lost culture. Meanwhile, artists like Nicolas Sumner, from the Nigger and Jury people, are painting animals in the book, such as the black swan called Kangari in his language. It's a totem for his group, and he says it brings a special energy when sharing knowledge on country. The goal is practical resources for families to teach kids, building pride and skills so communities can run their own projects moving forward. This effort is sparking hope, turning a sleeping language into a living one for future generations. This story is shared with support from our sponsor. A pillow that plays your podcasts, music, or white noise privately. No earbuds required. from M- to go to www now on to go at to go to go to the test