A brief history of the early readers in yalanji

An initiative of the `Muruku Art Group’ which is a Community Development Programme of Mossman Support Services. The key members of the group have been involved for up to ten years and are the initiators of this project. The names of those who contributed to the books is acknowledged on the inside cover.

The mission of the project was to retrieve, maintain, preserve and protect the local Kuku Yalanji language.

The Muruku Group comprise Indigenous and non-Indigenous people working together. Mossman State Primary School have purchased up to 40 copies of each reader, which are/will be used to support their Kuku Yalanji Language Teaching Programme for (Prep to Year 4).

The vocabulary and language structures in the books are carefully monitored and vocabulary is reused and revised through the series. In order to standardise the language and spelling for the teaching of Yalanji, these books have been revised by the Kuku Yalanji Language Advisory Group, language teachers and Kuku Yalanji Elders. The English translations at the bottom of each page were made in response to requests to make the books more useful to the wider community. We are pleased with the outcome and are now keen to promote and distribute the revised books to schools in our area.

Four books were developed in 2017 – Wanyu Yinya, Budruji, Yalada and Minya. Funding was received from the Aboriginal Benefits Foundation, a not for profit involved in Indigenous Art and Culture, also the North Queensland Regional Aboriginal Corporation Languages Centre in Cairns, who provided costs towards the printing of the books and were very supportive of the project.
A set of four books were created for 2017 NAIDOC Week celebrating `Our Languages Matter’. The project aim was to retrieve, maintain, preserve and protect Indigenous language by ensuring young children have access to culturally appropriate material. The books contain simple and grammatically correct sentences in Kuku Yalanji with illustrations provided by talented local artists.

In November 2018 funding was received through the Council Grants Program. This was to develop another 2 books - Jina and Wanjabu. These books and the earlier four books were to be compiled into a digital format to be accessed on-line. The books will be available through the (National Electronic Deposit) of the National Library when the digital format is complete.

In 2019 we received further funding under (DATSIP) – Department of Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (Indigenous Languages Grants Program) to revise, reprint, upgrade and deliver the first 4 readers as well as produce and print the latest two (2) books. Part of this programme is to present and donate a set of books to the Primary Schools in our area and Libraries (Local, State and National). In addition, the electronic audio format of the books will be available as a learning tool, point of engagement and discussion for students.