Hello from Newcastle AUS

Hello everyone, I’m a native Australian mixed that was raised with a Filipina step mother from Cebu. I’ve been exposed to numerous languages and have always been fascinated with how people and cultures express themselves. My mother is Warlpiri from Australia’s Central Desert and my family speak little to no English. I work for Miromaa Aboriginal Language Technology Centre. We support native people and languages throughout Australia and various other countries. We hold a bi-annual Indigenous Languages Conference called Puliima. At the moment I am working on reconstructing the Awabakal language.

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Fascinating! Encantado @Liam. Will you be speaking at the conference? Is there any opportunity to learn more about you, your work or Warlpiri?

Hey Liam! Welcome!

What a wonderful introduction.

I live in Sydney, so I’m very interested to hear more about your story and work.

Hi @Hank! @BrianLoo1 coaxed me haha but happy to be part of it all.

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Another Walpiri person! I’m so glad to see the language (and nation) represented here. My mother taught in the Willowra school for a year about 20 years ago (actually 20 years ago this year!), and while I never got out there, I’ve had an interest ever since. So good to see you here Liam :slight_smile:

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Hi Liam!

I would love to learn more about your story and the work you do with Australian Indigenous languages. Do you plan on speaking at one of the topic room conversations?

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@Liam I’m just straightening out the schedule with the organisers :slight_smile: Unfortunately it would have to be sometime like 10-11pm your time on a week day due to the timezones.

@liam, the other slots would be at 8am-8.30 am on Tuesday or Wednesday :frowning: let me know what works for you

Hi @Liam

I would like to visit Australia one day and posibly hearing at some Indigenous languages on which you are working, for me it is inspiring to know people doing their bests to revitalize Indigenous languages around the world.

I remember that I never had the chance to speak my ancestors’ or grandparents’ languages at home (Nahuatl, French, Yaqui, and others still to be revealed perhaps), later I realized that I used to be enslaved by the same pessimistic views that almost extinguished the languages which now I proudly see sprout from the ashes of the past or within new generations of learners. Now I am convinced that languages are too tools for hope, resilience friendship, family-building, reconciliation and creation, hence they have never been borders between people even if it is true that sharing the same language eases relationship building.

Our minds might not be able to know all languages in order to relate with everyone, but knowing about them and recognizing their diversity do breaks down the barriers of ancient conflicts and mistakes, too embracing and revitalizing this linguistic diversity shows human diversity as part of our wonderful and dynamic nature as specie. For me revitalizing our Indigenous languages shows will for change and is a signal of healing or reconstruction too.

Glad to read about you, as Hank, Candace, Courtney, etc. We will be ready to hear all good news from you and from the Miromaa Aboriginal Language & Technology Centre. Greetings.

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