Speaking Dharuk
Many members of the Dharuk (Darug) community live in and around Sydney. A few people retain some knowledge of the language, despite their people having suffered the longest history of colonisation, dispossession and displacement in Australia.
Recently, efforts have begun to revive the language, supported by members of the community and by the NSW Department of Education and Training. Dharuk is currently taught at Chifley College, Dunheved Campus and at Doonside Technical High School by Mr Richard Green. Richard prefers to call himself “an exponent, not an expert”.
Richard Green tells about loss of Country, in English and Dharuk:
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In Darug: |
With English translations: |
One day whiteman came across the ocean, in big canoes - big canoes. They sailed through the waves, onto the beach. In and around they put their feet, and took country. They walked together and took country, country. They looked and seen - earth. They looked and seen - trees. They looked and seen - clouds. They looked and seen - water. They collected country. They collected country and earth. We gave to them our songs, singing. We gave to them our hearts, and our heads and minds. We gave to them, him and others, we gave to them. They took all the country, all the country. Look and seen whitemen. Tomorrow let’s sing together. And sing. Please, thank you. Let’s walk. |
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Richard Green speaks in English and Dharuk about the name of the language and the various dialects: