Members of the Gathang Language Group, Muurrbay-Many Rivers Aboriginal Language Centre and North Coast Institute of TAFE have worked together to develop and deliver this exciting new course.

The occasion was a joyous celebration of great cultural significance for the local Biripi and Worrimi Aboriginal communities.

The Gathang language classes (the language traditionally spoken by both the Biripi and Worrimi from the Taree and Great Lakes areas) have revived the indigenous language, with elders and younger people learning at TAFE side by side.

At Taree Campus, Gathang language teacher Jeremy Saunders did a Welcome to Country in Gathang for the 10 successful graduates.

The course was taught by Jeremy with support from linguist Julie Long, Gary Williams and Anna Ash of Muurrbay–Many Rivers.

Jeremy’s cousin Jay Davis, also teaching on the course, said; “There’s no way to describe how beautiful it is to be able to speak our own language.”

At Great Lakes, Julie supported Mandy Davis to teach a group of nine students who successfully completed the introductory course, including TAFE art teacher Rachel Piercy, and school Aboriginal learning support officer Jye Simon.

Next year TAFE intends to offer the Certificate II in Aboriginal Languages-Gathang for successful graduates.

Classes use a locally developed Gathang grammar-dictionary, published by Muurrbay, and the Accelerated Second Language Acquisition teaching method (ASLA), developed in USA by Stephen Neyooxet Greymorning, an Arapaho language teacher.

Students quickly make progress with their language and have a lot of fun, speaking, singing and discussing cultural traditions.