The Yugambeh language has a unique and ancient history connecting those of us here today with our ancestors from thousands of years before. We hear those old voices as we walk through the beautiful mountains or across the beach sands to the sea, in a country that reaches from Beaudesert in the west to the ocean, and from the Logan River lands to the Tweed River in the south.
I’ve had the great privilege of working with my Elders in the Yugambeh community over many years, researching and producing resources to keep our language alive. The message from the Elders has been strongly told to me, that we must teach the language to the jarjum (little ones) if we are not to lose the most crucial link to our ancient culture.
My aim is to create an easy introduction to learning the Yugambeh language which I hope you will enjoy sharing with your jarjum.
This is just one of over 400 of Australia’s first languages- all of which are endangered and all of which are treasured by their communities. Teaching and learning languages is helping to preserve and restore our culture and giving the next generation of Indigenous people a connection to their family and their past.
If you would like to find out more, you can visit the Gambay Map created by First Languages Australia which can help you identify your local language group.
