The Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages (LAAL) is a

digital archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...

of literature in endangered languages of Australia, containing works in over forty

Australian Aboriginal languages The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...

from the Northern Territory,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The project to build the archive was initially funded in 2012 by the

Australian Research Council The Australian Research Council (ARC) is the primary non-medical research funding agency of the Australian Government, distributing more than in grants each year. The Council was established by the ''Australian Research Council Act 2001'', ...

, and was developed in collaboration with the Charles Darwin University as the lead institution, the Northern Territory Government and the Australian National University. Later partners include the

Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE, generally known as Batchelor Institute and formerly known as Batchelor College) provides training and further education, and higher education for Aboriginal Australians and Torres St ...

, the Northern Territory Library and the Northern Territory Catholic Education Office.

Description

LAAL is an online archive of literature in languages of the Northern Territory.

Development

Much of the literature in the archive was originally created as part of bilingual education programs in the Northern Territory from the early 1970s, but was in danger of being lost after Federal and Territory governments withdrew financial support for bilingual education. The project to build the archive was initially funded in 2012 by the Australian Research Council and involved the collaboration of the Charles Darwin University as the lead institution, the Northern Territory Government and the Australian National University. The first stage of building the archive was to recover as many of these books as possible (about 4000), to catalogue and digitise these materials, and, with permission from the original creators, make them publicly available online. Following the granting of a second round of funding by the Australian Research Council, the second stage of developing the archive began in 2014, focusing on further "search and rescue" of materials written by Indigenous authors in Northern Territory languages and also on engaging with community members, academics and schools on the use and enhancement of the collection. Later partners include the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, the Northern Territory Library and the Northern Territory Catholic Education Office. The Archive continues to seek contributions of relevant materials from community members and researchers, provided the appropriate permissions are obtained.

Access

All the materials in the Living Archive are publicly available online, and can also be accessed using the LAAL Reader App. One the website, users can find and access the materials by clicking on areas of a map or by browsing a list of locations, languages, authors or books. The materials are made available under a

Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia licence, and ownership of the stories and pictures remains with the Aboriginal language owners, creators of the work and their descendants.

Use

The materials in the archive can be used for a range of purposes. In addition to building the collection, the second stage of developing the archive focuses on engaging with communities, schools, and researchers. This stage aims to find ways of tailoring collections for local use, such as in literacy and language learning, as well as expanding and improving the collection with community involvement, for example through contributions of new or audio-recorded versions of stories. It also aims to find ways archived materials can be used for classroom activities, for example on traditional knowledge, and seeks to connect students and academics with language authorities for collaborative work.

Languages

, the Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages had materials available in the following languages: * Alawa *

Alyawarr The Alyawarre, also spelt Alyawarr and also known as the Iliaura, are an Aboriginal Australian people, or language group, from the Northern Territory. The Alyawarre are made up of roughly 1,200 associated peoples and actively engage in local tra ...

* Anindilyakwa *

Anmatyerr The Anmatyerr, also spelt Anmatyerre, Anmatjera, Anmatjirra, Amatjere and other variations) are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory, who speak one of the Upper Arrernte languages. Language Anmatyerr is divided into Easte ...

* Arrarnta, Western * Arrernte, Eastern * Burarra * Dalabon * Dhaŋu *

Dhuwal The Dhuwal are an indigenous Australian people of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory Language Dhuwal belongs to the Yolŋu-Matha branch of the Pama-Nyungan language family Country The Dhuwal were described by Norman Tindale in 1974 as one o ...

* Djambarrpuyngu (Dhuwal) * Djinaŋ * English * Gumatj * Gupapuyŋu * Gurrogoni *

Gurindji Gurindji may refer to: * Gurindji, Northern Territory, a locality in Australia *Gurindji people, an Australian Aboriginal people **Gurindji language, the language of the Gurindji people **Gurindji Kriol language, the main language now spoken by Guri ...

* Jawoyn * Kaytetye * Kriol * Kunbarlang * Kunwinjku * Maung *

Murrinh-Patha The Murrinh-Patha, or Murinbata, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory. Language Murrinh-Patha language, Murrinh-Patha is spoken by about 2500 people, and serves as a lingua franca for several other ethnic groups, such ...

* Ndjébbana * Ngandi * Pintupi-Luritja * Pitjantjatjara *

Rembarrnga The Rembarrnga people, also spelt Rembarunga and other variants, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory. Language The Rembarrnga language Rembarrnga (Rembarunga) is an Australian Aboriginal language. It is one of the ...

* Ritharrŋu * Tiwi *

Warlpiri Warlpiri may refer to: * Warlpiri people, an indigenous people of the Tanami Desert, Central Australia Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Au ...

* Warumungu *

Wubuy Nunggubuyu or Wubuy is an Australian Aboriginal languages, Australian Aboriginal language, the traditional language of the Nunggubuyu people. It is the primary traditional language spoken in the community of Numbulwar in the Northern Territory. ...

* Yan-nhaŋu * Yolŋu Matha

References

{{Reflist Culture of the Northern Territory Endangered languages projects Australian Aboriginal cultural history Australian Aboriginal languages

Description

Development

Access

Use

Languages

See also

References