The unique project is known for its cutting edge research to preserve, and in some cases bring back to life, Indigenous language through animations.
In an interview with NITV radio Associate Professor John Bradley, Deputy Director of the Monash University Indigenous Centre, highlights that Monash Country Lines Archive (MCLA) is about 10 years old and stems from a call from the community.
“Part of what we do is working with Indigenous groups whose languages haven’t been spoken for close to 80 years, who are feeling the full impact of colonisation,” Professor Bradley says.
Quoting Indigenous elders the academic also says that languages don’t die. They just go to sleep and, given the means, it is possible to bring a language back to life.
“Indigenous groups Australia-wide want to engage with language as a core aspect of identity and cultural meaning,” Professor John Bradley said.
The creation and delivery of world-class 3D animations has engaged each community with its rich heritage, engendered a sense of pride in place and culture, and has assisted in the reclamation of languages, and in some cases, brought a language back to life after not having been spoken for nearly a century.
