Nintiringanyi: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Language Teaching and Employment Strategy

Nintiringanyi highlights key actions for each state and territory’s consideration in appropriately developing and supporting Indigenous language teachers in schools. The information contained in this strategy reflects the collective knowledge and generosity of the experienced educators who attended the National Indigenous Languages Teaching and Employment Forum in 2016 and that of their peers, with whom they work daily in this field. The document includes examples of activities and strategies that have been successfully implemented and can be adapted elsewhere to see the sustainable teaching of first languages in schools where that is the wish of the local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language community.

Nintiringanyi prioritises actions across five key areas:

• Language teacher training

• Learning the language required to teach

• Teacher registration

• Community protocols

• Working regionally

The title Nintiringanyi was provided by Karina Lester and means ‘learning’ in her language, Yankunytjatjara. Australian English speakers can pronounce it ‘nin’ to rhyme with ‘bin’, ‘tir’ with a short ‘i’ as in ‘ink' and a rolled ‘r’ similar to the ’tt’ in butter when spoken very fast, ‘ing’ similar to the ending of ‘sing’, and ‘anyi’ sounding like ‘onion’ without the final ’n’.

Artwork
Kuluban
by Selina Nadjowh. Injalak Arts Centre