““These are wonderful stories and this is a great way to strengthen the reclamation of local Aboriginal language”
Phil Cooper, Educator
“This means more people get to learn and the Aboriginal ancestors won’t fade away.”
James, aged 9, Thornbury Primary School student of Wurundjeri descent
Dulaiwurrung Mungka-nj-bulanj
Traditional
The story from the Wurundjeri people, the traditional owners of the Melbourne district of Australia, of how the platypus was made.
In April 2015 the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation of Languages (VACL) launched three interactive digital storybooks featuring Creation Stories of the Wurundjeri People in both Woi wurrung and English.
As part of the project 15 indigenous students from Thornbury Primary School were selected to create illustrations and record narratives for the digital storybooks.
The student’s creative use of language, art and technology has enabled the telling of Balayang Wurrgarrabil-ut (Why Bats are Black), Dulaiwurrung Mungka-nj-bulanj (How the Platypus Was Made) and Gurrborra Nguba-nj Ngabun Baanj (Why the Koala doesn’t Drink Water) to a global audience.
How the Platypus Was Made received global recognition in 2015.
The development of these digital resources will support language reclamation and revitalisation activities in Victorian schools and communities.
Features
- Swipe-to-Read™
- Touch-to-Hear™
- Touch-to-Spell™
- Record your narration
- Colour in the illustrations
- Character animation
- Multiple languages
