Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring

Miriwoong is the name of the Aboriginal people and language of the Kununurra region of Western Australia. Although Miriwoong was once spoken by thousands of people, today there are fewer than a dozen fluent speakers alive, meaning that the Miriwoong language and culture is critically endangered. It is vital that the Miriwoong language be saved from extinction as many Indigenous people who grow up without a sense of culture or linguistic identity often feel isolated, depressed and become more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol.

That’s why at Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring, or ‘Mirima Place for Talking’, we have been documenting, recording and developing programs to revitalise the Miriwoong language for over 40 years.

MDWg currently has several programs operating in the Kununurra community that have been very successful at improving the use, fluency and general awareness of the Miriwoong language; including the Miriwoong Language Nest and the Master-Apprentice Language Learning Program (MAALP). These programs aim to involve all generations of Miriwoong speakers, from young children learning for the first time in the Language Nest program to fluent-speaking Elders helping to teach younger partial speakers of Miriwoong at MAALP. MDWg has also implemented several other initiatives to increase the community’s awareness of Miriwoong and increase access to various language learning resources. These include our collection of self-published Miriwoong books and a weekly 'Miriwoong Story Time' radio program produced in collaboration with Waringarri Radio, an Aboriginal-owned radio station based in Kununurra. We also provide cultural awareness training, bilingual signage for National Parks and local businesses, formal language lessons and supports cultural transmission through field trips, cultural performances and traditional learning methods.