bina: first nations languages, old and new

The incredible story of the resilience and recovery of Australia’s First Nations languages

Australia’s language diversity is truly breathtaking. This continent lays claim to the world’s longest continuous collection of cultures, including over 440 unique languages and many more dialects. Sadly, European invasion has had severe consequences for the vitality of these languages.

Amid devastating loss, there has also been the birth of new languages such as Kriol and Yumplatok, both English-based Creoles. Aboriginal English dialects are spoken widely, and recently there has been an inspiring renaissance of First Nations languages, as communities reclaim and renew them.

Bina: First Nations Languages Old and New tells this story, from the earliest exchange of words between colonists and First Nations people to today’s reclamations. It is a creative and exciting introduction to a vital and dynamic world of language.

With a foreword by Nardi Simpson, author of Song of the Crocodile.