A new digital project is helping to conserve and revitalise the Northern Territory’s Martay Burarra culture and language.

Young Balkarranga clan members ready to perform.
Young Balkarranga clan members ready to perform. Image courtesy of the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation.

With support from our Indigenous Languages and Arts program, Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation from Maningrida in the Northern Territory, has been working with the Martay Burarra people over the last 3 years to document their kin, Country and culture for future generations.

Through the project, more than 10 hours of Martay Burarra language and cultural knowledge was captured in short films and oral recordings. Cultural sites and local knowledge were also geographically mapped, helping to identify significant sites, personal relationships and historical connections.

As part of the project, Bawinanga also documented the full Mun-jiburey manikay (song cycle) for the first time, including the accompanying dance performance and preparations, and produced an in-depth printed publication on the Martay Burarra people’s cultural knowledge, kinship and history.

Those who participated in the project were trained in a range of digital skills, including the use of transcription tools, film and audio equipment, and archiving practices to support the ongoing preservation of culture.

Indigenous languages and arts are integral to the identity and connection with culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and are essential to maintaining the vitality and strength of communities.

In 2024-25, over $37 million will be invested through the Indigenous Languages and Arts program to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to express, conserve and sustain their cultures through languages and arts activities throughout Australia.