We're excited to share some new projects coming up in 2025 that will help keep our Arabana culture and language strong. With funding secured, these projects will bring our people together to pass on knowledge from one generation to the next, and give our community more ways to reconnect with our roots.

1. Returning to Country: Revitalising Arabana Culture

We’re proud to have received the DHS Social Impact Funding for the “Returning to Country: Revitalising Arabana Culture” project. This initiative will help us keep our culture alive by sharing Arabana knowledge, language, and traditions through several workshops and storytelling/activity sessions in Marree throughout the year. The focus is on passing down wisdom from our Elders to the younger ones, making sure our rich heritage stays strong.

We’ll also be running a tourism workshop to explore how Arabana culture can be part of the outback tourism scene. This will include creating some culturally immersive signage in Marree, so visitors can learn about and appreciate the deep connection we have to this land.

2. Wardu and Wadni: Arabana Language Development Project

We’re also excited to kick off the Wardu and Wadni project, led by Veronica Arbon. This project is all about breathing new life into Arabana Wangka (language), with a special focus on our kids (Wardu) and their parents/carers. We’ll be holding two three-day gatherings in Port Augusta, where we’ll teach Arabana songs and create videos and resources to keep our language strong.

The Wardu and Wadni project will feature three short videos of the kids singing and dancing to the songs in Arabana Wangka, and we’ll be sharing these on our YouTube channel. We’ll also put together a book with the songs, Arabana sounds, and a QR code linking to the videos, so the learning can keep going.

These projects are key to making sure Arabana identity stays strong, and that our language and culture are passed down for generations to come.

What’s Next?

We are excited to see these projects come to life and are deeply grateful to the Department for Education as well as the Department of Human Services for the funding and support that make them possible. Stay tuned for more updates on these projects, and thank you to everyone who continues to support our efforts in preserving Arabana heritage.

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