Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resources

This LibGuide provides a starting point for finding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander library materials, resources and subject guides

Resources

Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi (KWP)
A body of Kaurna people, teachers, linguists and language enthusiasts who are passionate about the reclamation and revival of the Kaurna language. This website, and its sister website "Kaurna Place Names", offer background and context information about the Kaurna Language Reclamation project, teaching aids, and dates for events and courses. KWP is hosted by Linguistics, School of Humanities, at the University of Adelaide.
Mobile Language Team (MLT)
Based out of the University of Adelaide and working across the length and breadth of South Australia, the MLT prides itself on expertise from not only linguistics but also the education sectors, health sectors, community advocacy sectors and cultural and language experts.
National Centre For Aboriginal Language And Music Studies (NCALMS)
National Centre for Aboriginal Language and Music Studies (NCALMS) is a leading centre for Australian Indigenous language and music studies that is dedicated to strengthening Australian Indigenous communities through innovative initiatives.

Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi Archives (KWP)
Established in 2002 by Kaurna Elders, Dr Lewis Yerloburka O'Brien and Dr Alitya Wallara Rigney together with Linguist, Dr Rob Amery, Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi (KWP) is a body of Kaurna people, teachers, linguists and language enthusiasts who are passionate about the reclamation and revival of the Kaurna language.
*Access to items in this community/collection have been restricted until further advice.
Chester Schultz Southern Kaurna Place Names
On behalf of Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi and in the interests of the whole Aboriginal community of this region, Chester Schultz is engaging in detailed research into the meaning and local context of Kaurna place names at particular locations.
Kaurna children's letters 1840-1843.
These highly significant letters are three of just five known surviving documents written by Kaurna children in Kaurna language in the19th century. The letters are currently held in the University Library, Rare Books and Special Collections.

Tips for finding resources for Indigenous Languages in Library Search

To search for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander languages, use variations of search terms to broaden or narrow your search. eg. "Indigenous Australian Languages" or "Aboriginal AND Indigenous Australian Languages"

Screenshot of Library Search box, searching for terms Indigenous Australian Languages.

Screenshot of Library Search results, with extra words added to the search to expand the results.

Screenshot of Library Search resluts, with AND (in capital letters) inserted between keywords to reduce the number of results.

Searching for a specific language or information about a language group can be tricky. Old records may have used different spelling rather than the more widely accepted modern spelling. The Trove link below provides search tips and examples of how to access and enhance your searching for language material in collections.

Library Search - Saved searches

ICTV in Language
Over 100 Indigenous languages with videos on ICTV PLAY.
Masterclass: Common Kaurna language phrases to know
University of Adelaide's Cultural Advisor, Rod O’Brien is hosting this masterclass on common Kaurna phrases to know and learn.
Iltyem-iltyem - Sign languages in Central Australia
Iltyem-iltyem is an online resource for sign languages used in Indigenous communities in Central Australia. This site contains several hundred video clips of signs for public view.

The video below demonstrates how variations in spelling can affect search results when looking for resources about languages.

Searching Language Groups in Trove (2:53)

50 Words Project
The words are provided online with community permission, and with audio provided by a language speaker. The languages and words are displayed on a map of Australia so that users can easily find the information relevant to their local area.
Aboriginal Languages of Australia
Annotated links to 515 resources for over 150 languages.
AIATSIS - Pathways
Pathways contains the terms we use to describe the items in the AIATSIS Collections. Including, a thesaurus for subjects relating to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, language groups and people, and place names.
AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia
The map is an attempt to represent all the language, tribal or nation groups of the Indigenous peoples of Australia.
AUSTLANG
AUSTLANG is a type of thesaurus for languages at the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. The term ‘language’ represents group of dialects or sociolects which together make up a language. AUSTLANG includes records for all known varieties of Indigenous Australian languages, with over 1200 records including categories such as language, dialect, and varieties based on clan membership.
Australian Society for Indigenous Languages (AuSIL)
AuSIL serves Indigenous language communities in Australia and the Timor region by means of linguistic research and documentation, translation, training, and the development of language resources.
First Languages Australia
A multidisciplinary website, First Languages Australia is working toward a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language communities have full command of their languages and can use them as much as they wish to by communication, advocacy and education strategies.
Gambay - First Languages Map
First Languages Australia is working with regional language centres nationally to develop a map of Australian languages that reflects the names and groupings favoured by community.
Mobile Language Team (MLT) - Online Language Portal
This online language portal is developed for community, by community with the assistance of the MLT. These lessons have been developed in partnership with speakers, learners and linguists, to reflect the wants and needs of the community.
Our Languages
A website that supports the 250 plus Aboriginal Languages that exist in this country.
OZBIB
OZBIB is a bibliography of published works and theses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
Pacific And Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures (PARADISEC)
Catalogue of digital material about small or endangered languages.You can search by collections or by items.
SLQ - Indigenous languages map of Queensland
As part of State Library of Queensland's Indigenous Languages Project, this resource map aims to raise awareness of the diversity of Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and identify resources within State Library collections.