LANGUAGE AND CULTURE ABORIGINALS

1. LANGUAGE AND CULTUREABORIGINALS AKIS FLEVOTOMAS

2. GENERAL INFORMATION • The aboriginal languages are languages that are spoken by the Aborigines of Australia and by few nearby islandsexcluding the language of Tasmania and the eastern Torres Strait Island languages. • The history of Aboriginal Australians is thought to have spanned 40.000 to 45.000 years although some estimates have put the figure at up to 80.000 years before European settlement. • These Australians lived with a strong dependence on the land and also the water. Each group developed skills according the area in which they lived, like hunting or fishing or even gathering goods.

3. 250 aboriginal languages spoken in Australia before invasion and 600 dialects. • The number of Aboriginal people whose mother tongue is an aboriginal language is estimated around 50.000. • The three most common dialects are Yolngu ( 6000 people), Arrernte ( 3000 people) and Warlpiri (3000 people). • It was estimated by scientists in 2008 that 11% of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people mainly speak an aboriginal language at home. It is worth mentioning that 75% of them can also speak English.

4. HISTORY Unfortunately the Aboriginal Language is endangered for many reasons: • The path of the Australian aboriginal history changed radically after the 18th and 19th century settlement of the British. • Indigenous people were displaced from their ways of life, were forced to submit to European rule and were later encouraged to assimilate into Western culture.

5. What is more between 1955 and 1963 the Australian government and the Britain agreed to perform atomic tests on the Aboriginal land of the Anangu people. • Many people of this tribe were forcibly removed from their traditional land in order to conduct the experiment. • About 1.200 aboriginal people were exposed to radiation during the experiment and had a nearly negative impact on their health.

7. Measures Today there is a tremendous lack of aboriginal teachers. There are only 0.7% of all teachers in Australia claiming that they have poor or no professional development. However some believe that there is a sign of hope of surviving the language. They underline that in order to make this happen some measures have to be taken. • Such as teach and promote language • produce a book • create a dictionary • collect all known sources • conduct workshop recording elders speaking

8. CULTURE • The loss of language long associated with culture cannot be taken and replaced without harmful effects. • The Australian Aboriginal people have lost a tremendous amount of distinct, irretrievable culture, with only 11% of their language remaining strong today. The loss of language is felt broadly through the communities of those affected. Through the loss of language and culture a sense of alienation, hostility and disregard has emerged, affecting all manner of life throughout Australia.

9. The struggle for language is common throughout the world. Some languages have been saved, but most are still in danger, Like many languages in Americas. Others have died out entirely. New Zealand is a beacon of light for those who struggle. Language is part of our cultural heritage, that is why we must preserve the endangered languages and save our history.

12. References • http://www.creativespirits.info/ • ww.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15020799 • http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/06/aboriginal-australians/finkel-text • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Australians