Language is sacred, language is life - Australian Northern Territory language education policy and indigenous community sustainability
by Janine Oldfield
International Journal of Sustainable Society (IJSSOC), Vol. 15, No. 4, 2023

Abstract: Language plays a decisive role in the social, environmental, and economic development of remote Aboriginal communities in Australia. It encapsulates both relationships of people and connections to the land, which comprises the economic base of Aboriginal societies. However, since colonisation, there has been considerable denudation of traditional Aboriginal languages throughout Australia so that only about 2% remain spoken by children (Koch and Nordlinger, 2014). A revival of Aboriginal languages occurred in Northern Australia from the 1970s to the late 1990s with Aboriginal bilingual biliteracy education. This resurgence resulted in considerable social and economic benefits to entire communities. However, more recent changes in language policy with the rise of neoliberal governance have resulted in its discontinuation and a dramatic increase in social and economic dysfunction in remote Aboriginal communities. This paper presents an analysis case study of language education in the Northern Territory related to sustainability, policy orientations and neoliberalism.

Online publication date: Mon, 27-Nov-2023

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