For the past two years to 2025 we have led a Language program to improve and retain knowledge of the Wilmen language and we gratefully acknowledge the funding and support of ILA through the Department
What went really well?
We created the Wordbank Book, a dictionary of basis Wilmen words and pronunciations
This year the program continued to strengthen, with the dedicated language tutor—deeply connected to Wiilmen peoples—providing culturally grounded and consistent weekly classes. Community engagement efforts, including social media outreach and targeted conversations with families and local organisations, proved highly effective. Interest in the program grew steadily across the year, reflected in rising attendance and regular enquiries from new participants.
Ongoing feedback loops were particularly valuable and enabled continuous refinement of the learning experience. Class delivery was adjusted in response to participant suggestions, resulting in more interactive sessions and stronger engagement overall. Participants also contributed directly to the development of learning resources, creating a strong sense of ownership and pride. This collaborative approach deepened cultural connection and encouraged sharing of language knowledge within families and across the broader community.
We created a book of numbers and animal names, especially liked by children
What didn’t go so well?
Working with Narrogin Primary School, we produced a Noongar Cooking Book
What didn’t go so well?
Attendance patterns continued to show that certain times of year—especially winter—reduced accessibility for some community members. Although alternative times and venues were trialled to create a comfortable learning environment, it remained challenging to consistently find a schedule that suited all participants.
Engagement of younger children and youth again proved difficult despite clear interest from families. While the feedback indicated a strong desire for intergenerational learning, competing commitments and varying attention needs made it hard to integrate younger participants effectively into the adult-focused sessions. The opportunity to collaborate with the local Primary school was a good opportunity which did engage children and youth in Language opportunities.
The tutor welcomed all feedback and continued to adjust lesson content and session structure. Keedac staff supported the tutor with planning to ensure classes catered for different learning styles, but some challenges in balancing the diverse needs of participants remained.
Is there anything you would do differently? (What, why and how?)
A more structured approach to lesson planning would be implemented. This includes developing a clear session-by-session sequence incorporating individual learning intentions, as well as stand-alone lessons that allow new participants to join at any point without feeling they have missed essential content.
We would also explore a parallel stream or occasional “family learning sessions” designed to encourage younger children to participate in a way that aligns with their developmental needs. This may help build intergenerational engagement while maintaining the flow of the main adult classes.
Resources Developed
Wilman to English word bank (words, phrases, sentences used in the program)
Early learning book (colours, numbers, animals)
Dookerniny Mereny Noongar Boodja – Cultural Cooking Book – ( Instructional book cooking cultural food)
The Language Program has played a vital role in increasing cultural knowledge and awareness among both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants. It has created a safe, inclusive learning space within the community, where positive relationships and meaningful connections have grown through shared learning and shared journeys. The program actively promotes respect for cultural knowledge and supports the revival of language. Participants—Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike—have learned Wilman sounds, words, sentences, and basic conversational phrases.