The Nharangga Aboriginal Progress Association (NAPA) began the work of bringing the Nharangga language back to our people in the 1990's. From then, NAPA has created many publications of history and culture, that includes dictionaries, readers, resource books and maps. These resources are available on our website and are deeply valued by the community.
This work has been important in building an online home for our language. It is the first step in making the sound of the words available for people to hear. It was a young person said to Lesley Wanganeen that they loved the dictionary books, but they still did not know how to say the words.
Today, digital technology makes it possible to share audio. We hope you enjoy hearing the sounds of your language and that it helps you feel confident to learn it and speak it with pride.
The audio recordings on this site were recorded by language teacher Tania Wanganeen.
The art work has been created for us all by Harley Hall.
Like the other dictionaries in our collection, this dictionary is more than a collection of words. It represents our history and our heritage. It is our past, present and future. It has been a remarkable journey; along the way we have found a living culture and a sense of pride. At no time did we believe that this language was lost to us. The strong, emotional ties that bind us to our language, bind us together as a people with a strong cultural history, rich in knowledge and worth.
This online dictionary builds on earlier work and continues that journey. It creates new ways to connect with language, including the ability to hear the sounds of words spoken aloud. This work took those involved on a journey that has been emotional and spiritually enlightening. It found a place within us that was special and held strong links to our past.
It affirms the belief that Nharangga people are important; their language is a living language – one that is not dead, but one that will continue to grow as it is nurtured by Nharangga people.
Other Language Resources
NAPA have developed many community language resources to help with your language learning. Please visit the NAPA website to order your resources.
