Who Are We?
As a program under the Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation, the Far West Languages Centre is one of two language centres in South Australia.
Far West Languages Centre assists the local and surrounding Aboriginal Communities to revive and restore the endangered languages being Wirangu, Gugada & Mirning, and assisting to support and maintain the Southern Desert Languages of the region.
The region that we service spans from Streaky Bay, Ceduna, Koonibba, Scotdesco, Yalata and Oak Valley. However, the FWLC is not limited to these regions due to Aboriginal people being a transient people.
The Far West Languages Centre is located at 2 Eyre Highway, being the Ceduna Aboriginal Arts & Culture property sharing with Arts Ceduna.
The Far West Languages Centre aims to facilitate recording of languages; bringing archival materials back on country for easy community access; community engagement; resource development; increasing fluent speaking; training and development through both formal and informal channels to assist in the continued growth and restoration of its targeted languages; and getting back on-country holding language camps and cultural activities to be immersed in language.
Vital to the success of the Far West Languages Centre is the emphasis it places upon community engagement through consultation and facilitation. Building self determination amongst the Aboriginal people is the key to conducting the work required to keep communities and languages healthy and strong.
The Far West Languages Centre assists to facilitate the use of languages and engagement on behalf of the Aboriginal communities, and assist to protect the Intellectual Property of the languages through legal agreements. Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) agreements are a vital part of making sure the moral rights are respected for and on behalf of the local Aboriginal people, and that ICIP is not disrespected by the knowledge being misused without authority.
The Far West Languages Centre is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications - Office of the Arts - Indigenous Languages & Arts Program Funding.