Meet a language leader: Chris Morganson

 

Chris attended our QLD PD workshop last year, and has since been meeting with Living Languages trainer Amy to continue his work. Here we share an interview with Chris from the workshop, conducted by intern Sarah Sandy. Then, read on to hear about the fantastic work Chris has been doing more recently!

Tell us a little bit about yourself and the language work you are part of.

I’m a Warrongo man and pretty much what I’m doing is I’m trying to revitalise my language. So I got all the resources buried deep but there’s no fluent speakers left in my tribe, due to Stolen Generation and many massacres that happened. In our area we suffered greatly in that, and the people that did speak, they didn’t speak fluent around others cos of Stolen Generation, and just it was frowned upon, I guess, [they didn’t speak fluent] to fit in with what was happening.

What got you into language work?

I grew up with a little bit of language within the family. It’s a drive, you know, with language it’s a big part of our culture and you see lots of other tribes and that, they’ve got that. So I just wanted to know more about it. One day I asked the right question to the right people and they pointed me in the direction of the resources, and now I’m chasing that.


How have you found the workshop so far? Do you have a highlight?

I don’t have a highlight but you know, we’ve jumped between different things, from like linguistics to just the resources that yous can give us and then, little things that we’ve taken away to learn, like project management and stuff like that. It’s all played a part, I guess, one way or another.


What are your hopes and aspirations for your language?

I think like anyone that’s on this path, your main thing is just the dream that you can speak fluent and that your language is strong within the community again. That’s probably the biggest thing.


What is one word you love in your language or one thing that you love about your language? And why?

One thing that I love about my language, we have audio tapes of one of our last speakers, and when he talks it’s just fluent, it’s like a river, it just flows, you know, it’s crazy. So that’s probably my favourite thing about hearing the language. And even when I talk little bits here and there, it just flows, you know, that language just rolls off the tongue. My favourite word – I don’t know, I got heaps of favourite words! I don’t have a favourite word, it’s just, you get a good feeling when you talk language.


Since the workshop, what sort of language work have you been doing and why?

Since the workshop I have continued in my pursuit to find ways of revitalising my traditional language through filling out the Learner’s Guide template I got from Living Languages, massive mention to Amy Parncutt who has helped me throughout this entirely long journey, she has been there from the beginning. Helping and teaching along the way.

I have also managed to develop flash cards with common phrases and words, an idea shared with me during the course of the workshop. Thanks to these steps inspired by Amy and the Living Languages workshop, common words and phrases are becoming more frequent within my household.

I have also created a Facebook group for the Warrungu community so that I may share common words more easily to Warrungu members in different areas. I am also looking and enquiring about possible grants that may help further me in my journey to bring back language as I feel that is possibly the next step I should take.

What are your goals? / What do you want to see for your language?

I have big dreams and they are endless.

I have a list…

  • I want to see my language thrive again, I want it confidently and fluently spoken.

  • I want my friends to learn some of my language (they have shown interest and learn little words every day).

  • I want to develop education material, e.g. book, audio and paper and electronic, education songs (heads, shoulders, knees and toes) - anything and everything.

  • Massive project should I find funding: develop a language app with audio when you click on the word with pictures and an inbuilt dictionary.

  • Side project: design shirts or clothing with language on it. This can be a great conversation starter. Showcase and embrace language.

(Thanks Chris!)