The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has released its Elevate Reconciliation Plan 2019-22, featuring a continuing commitment to bring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and voices into the national conversation.
Indigenous Lead at the ABC, Phillipa McDermott said Indigenous languages and place names were not just a means of simple identification, they expressed knowledge about everything we know — family, clan, law, geography, history, relationships, philosophy, religion, anatomy and Country.
“So, when we invite our audience to listen to and practise these words and languages, we are not only maintaining our culture, but we are passing it on to new generations, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, who now live on this land,” Ms McDermott said.
“We hope it will ignite their imaginations to think about what the word means, or what the place where they might live, work or travel to means, and the deep spiritual significance of that name or place.”
She said the ABC was an industry leader in this space “and while we are already working with many other organisations, we really encourage all our industry colleagues to do the same”.
Ms McDermott said initiatives introduced by the ABC included increasing the use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nation names in programing, news reporting and in social media and TV.
“ABC News has begun incorporating Acknowledgment of Country on State and Territory 7pm television bulletins and 7.30 will start including Indigenous place names in coming weeks,” she said.
“ABC Radio has introduced 130 Indigenous language station identifications across its capital city and regional radio networks and all major events and live concerts broadcast on the ABC’s national music networks feature an Acknowledgement of Country.”
Ms McDermott said the publicly accessible ABC Pronunciation Guide incorporated guidance on pronunciations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander names, places and concepts.
The ABC’s 23-page Elevate Reconciliation Plan 2019-22 can be accessed at this PS News link and the Pronunciation Guide can be accessed at this link.
