RBWH Closing the Gap Committee at the Queensland State Library

Last month, the RBWH Closing the Gap Committee attended a workshop at the State Library of Queensland to learn about Aboriginal language. The activity was organised in response to one of the key deliverables in RBWH’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), encouraging staff to attend external Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander events.

Hosted by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Language Coordination Department, the group learnt about three Aboriginal language groups, including the language of the land RBWH sits on, Turrbal country. The group were provided with an opportunity to write a short story using an Aboriginal language.

RBWH Cultural Capability Officer Geoff Binge said there are more than 250 Indigenous languages including around 800 dialects that enabled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to communicate with each other and across Australia.

“Language, the way it is spoken and the way it is interpreted, is a highly important living link that continuously connects people to Country, culture and our ancestors,” Geoff said.

“Aboriginal languages are unique and often relay meaning beyond the actual spoken words. They form part of stories, spirituality, law, identity and, most crucially, enable our heritage and knowledge of the land, sea, waterways and sky to be passed on to our younger generations.

“I understand today that approximately 120 languages are still spoken with reasonable fluency, and many are at risk of being lost forever.

“I encourage RBWH staff to learn more about Aboriginal language, even if it is simply finding out how to say hello in the language of the Aboriginal land you currently live on.”