Western Arrarnta Dictionary Launch

Some of our Indigenous students have the opportunity to go every week and study a Certificate II in Applied Languages. This course is offered to students who have some knowledge and background in Indigenous languages. This course values Arrarnta and other Central Desert Indigenous languages. Some of us are learning Central Arrarnta, while others are learning Yankunytjatjara and Eastern Arrarnta. We have been learning and enjoying how to write in language and translating. This class has many benefits such as developing our interpreting skills and not losing the language, so we can pass it on to younger generations. 

On Thursday 28 April, the senior girls from the Arrarnta language class had a chance to go to Ntaria (Hermannsburg) community for the new Western Arrarnta dictionary book release. In the morning, we drove in a minivan for two and a half hours to Hermannsburg. We got there early before the rest of our class, and helped set up everything for the book launch and we even had a chance to visit the old precinct.

One of our students Megan Baliva who had previously completed the Certificate II in Applied Languages and Stage 2 Australian Languages had the chance to help create and translate words that exist in the newly released Western Arrarnta dictionary.

Thank you to Tammy Renshaw for accompanying us on this long two-hour trip to Ntaria.

Overall, it was an exciting and good experience. We look forward to using the Western Arrarnta dictionary. 

~ Ella Williams

Year 11 Student