The Birth of the Living Archive: An emerging archive of Australian Aboriginal languages and literature

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/arch.11113

Keywords:

Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages, Indigenous Archives, Indigenous Australians

Abstract

In 2012 an archive of texts in Aboriginal languages came to life in the Northern Territory of Australia attended by a host of midwives,
friends, relations and well-wishers.1 Its birth was much anticipated and well received. Based upon several thousand books which were made in Aboriginal languages between 1973 and 2000, it bears within it the promise of addressing some persistent concerns of diverse interest groups. The authors of this paper have backgrounds in linguistics, language education and science and technology studies, but it is through both longstanding and newly acquired relationship with Aboriginal language owners that the archive takes on its unique, often surprising form. Designed in part as academic research infrastructure, the Living Archive’s overarching aim is the mobilisation of language work intergenerationally and interculturally.2 To view its current form, visit http://www.cdu.edu.au/laal/.


Here, we tell of how the Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages came to be, and what it may grow up to do. Taking three perspectives in turn to highlight the multidimensional potentiality of the resource that has been created, the authors reflect on what has been achieved to date: not to claim that the project has achieved all that it set out to, but to make explicit the complex interplay of considerations that have to be borne in mind as the work progresses. What has been presented is a non- Aboriginal perspective, albeit one which has been strongly influenced by decades of involvement with Aboriginal communities, and which encourages dialogue and input from those authorities.

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Author Biographies

Michael Christie, Charles Darwin University

Michael Christie, originally from New Zealand, moved to Arnhem Land in northern Australia in 1972 where he became a teacher linguist in bilingual education programs. He is currently Professor of Education at the Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University in Darwin, NT, and his research interests include the uses of digital technologies in the inter-generational transmission of traditional Indigenous Knowledge.

Brian Devlin, Charles Darwin University

Brian Devlin is an author, bilingual policy researcher, teacher and language specialist. His work roles include Guest Professor, Australian and Indigenous Studies, at the University of Köln, Germany; Foreign Expert at Qinghua University, China; Dean of the Faculty of Education at Northern Territory University; Principal Education Officer in the NT Department of Education; teacher-linguist and principal of a bilingual
school in Arnhem Land; and teacher in Papua New Guinea. Designated an ‘expert of inter-national standing’ by the ARC College of Experts in 2007, Dr Brian Devlin is currently Associate Professor of Bilingual Education and Applied Linguistics at Charles Darwin University.

Catherine Bow, Charles Darwin University

Catherine Bow is a linguist with research experience in both descriptive and applied linguistics. She has described the sound system of an African language, investigated language development in children with
impaired hearing, explored endangered language documentation, and researched the language and communication needs of international medical graduates. She has worked as a trainer and coach for language learners, and currently works as project manager for the Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages.

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Published

2014-10-01

Issue

2014: October

Section

Articles