On the 8th August, 2019, Prof. Dany Adone and Dr. Melanie Brueck presented a guest event at the Northern Institute of Charles Darwin University titled “Reclaiming Indigenous Signs: Insights from Sign languages in Australia and the Pacific”.
Abstract
UNESCO has declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages. As such, this research seminar will discuss several aspects of documenting Indigenous sign systems in Australia and the Pacific in order to preserve cultural heritage.
Part one focuses on Indigenous alternate sign languages in Australia, in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Current work on Yolŋu Sign Language, Arnhem Land Signed Lingua Franca, and Miriwoong Sign Language will be presented.
Part two covers Indigenous sign languages in the Pacific Islands region, focussing on Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Similar to spoken languages, these sign languages are endangered and will be replaced by foreign sign languages if no action is taken to save them.
The event took place at the Northern Institute, Yellow Building 1, Level 2, Room 48, at 10:30am-12pm, 8th August, 2019. For further information please follow the link
here.
