Djugun Language Audio Dictionary Launched as Part of NAIDOC Week Celebrations
Image Caption: Djugun Language Audio Dictionary Launch during NAIDOC Week, 2026
(L-R) Cheryl Ozies, Jaala Ozies, Mary Ozies, Gary Ozies and Yisah Ozies Bin Omar
National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Celebration (NAIDOC) week 2026 marks a significant milestone with the theme “50 years of Deadly" recognising and honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, and achievements.
Reflecting on the spirit of community, culture, resilience, and survival, on Thursday the 9th July some members of the Djugun and Broome community came together at Lotteries House in Broome, Western Australia to celebrate the culmination of the Djugun language audio dictionary project which has been a three-year journey.
On 3rd July 2023 efforts commenced to revitalise the sleeping Djugun language, which began with the 50 Words in Djukun project in consultation with the University of Melbourne’s Research Unit for Indigenous Language’s (RUIL), Djugun Elders with support from project coordinator Djugun woman Jaala Ozies and supported by several Australian linguists, with expert advice from Claire Bowern Professor of Linguistics and Anthropology, Yale University (USA).
The project a first of it’s kind commenced as a self-funded community-led appraoch to record an entire list of Djugun language words documented by Daisy Bates around 1901 with Djugun informant Billingee. Billingee was the ancestor of the Ozies’s family.
The audio dictionary recordings and coaching were completed using various forms of technology including face-to-face recordings, zoom and WhatsAapp recordings.
Djugun members from around Australia and abroad lent their voices for the dictionary project. Later the self-funded community project secured two small grants from First Languages Australia.
Image Caption: Djugun language audio dictionary companion book
Recently our language revitalisation has received national media coverage in Australia as documented by the University of Melbourne’s RUIL and the National Indigenous Times. Additionally, Djukun Nation supported the compilation of a companion book to accompany the Djugun language audio dictionary. The book was written by co-authors Jaala Ozies and Mary Ozies. The book contains various Djugun language words and photos of Broome’s natural environment which were donated by various Broome community members and the Broome Bird Observatory.
Djugun Elder Mary Ozies stated
"As part of the 50 years NAIDOC celebrations I am proud that Djugun members were able to launch their Djugun Language Audio Dictionary and book as part of their language revitalisation and keeping Djugun culture strong".
Project coordinator Jaala Ozies stated
" We had an opportunity to revive our sleeping language… in the past Aboriginal people from across Australia were denied to speak their language, our language revitalisation efforts is a form of resistance to the erasure of the Djugun identity in Broome and will strengthen our connection to our ancestral homelands Djugun Country to ensure the lagacy of our ancestors lives on for generations to come".
The Djugun language revitalisation is ongoing for more information or to find out how to purchase Djugun books, reach out to djukunnation@gmail.com
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