Noongar Language and Culture

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned photographs/videos in this course may contain images of deceased persons which may cause sadness or distress.

Noongar people are the original inhabitants of the vast geographical area in the south-western corner of Western Australia. They have been there for over 45,000 years. Through the millennia, ancient wisdom and culture have guided the people throughtheir interactions with the land, nature, and with one another.

In 1826, the Noongar land was first colonised by the British. What unfolded in the years that followed was catastrophic for Noongar people; the impacts of which are still seen and felt today.

Despite this dark history, Noongar culture has survived. Today, Noongar people are passionate about preserving their cultural knowledge while embracing the changes that come with living in a contemporary society.

This course provides an introduction to Noongar culture and language. Learners will be taken on a journey through Noongar boodja (Noongar country). They'll joinNoongar guides as they share knowledge and personal experiences of history, land,and culture.

Learners will be introduced to conversational Noongar - learning words and phrases that can be used in simple dialogue.

We hope this course enhances cultural understanding and respect for the Noongar people - and Aboriginal Australians, as a whole - more broadly.

Wandjoo noonakoort, which means: welcome everyone!

What you'll learn

• A range of conversational Noongar words and phrases
• How to incorporate and use Noongar words within basic conversational sentences
• Appreciation and respect for Noongar spiritual and cultural beliefs
• The importance of boodja (country) to Noongar people and protocols for respecting boodja
• Key events in recent Noongar history and ways to recognise the impacts of colonisation on Noongar culture, waangkaniny (language), society, and people
• How contemporary expressions of Noongar culture through art, music and dance can help Noongar people strengthen their cultural identity
• Examples of the vast cultural knowledge on boodja through bush medicines and bush foods