There is money in this

so why would you not get involved? 

There is a certain controversial columnist in this country, one Andrew Bolt, who must actually thrive on being hated so much by some of his readers.  For all the controversy he stirs up he also appears to be very popular.

Yesterday he was having a shot at the latest obsession of some councils - that of changing names of places to "aboriginal" or "indigenous" names and paying to do so. If you are wondering what the problem is please let me explain.

In the example he gave a shire council in a neighbouring state has changed the name of a local park. It has been given an indigenous name. The name now being used allegedly comes from an extinct language and the council has apparently paid the local "Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation" for "permission" to use it. The council had to pay for the "translation" as well. All this was done to satisfy the demands of a very small group, many of whom never spoke the language at all. 

I do know something about extinct languages and endangered languages. It is something which has concerned me for many years. Recently my local council paid someone to try and teach what was said to be the local indigenous language at white settlement. It was nothing of the sort of course. That language is extinct. Claims to speak it are ridiculous. It cannot be "revived". The meanings given to words are, despite claims to the contrary, not certain. There was no written language to preserve it. Information given to those who did try to find out something about it was inaccurate for many reasons. In spite of all this someone was paid to teach it. 

If any members of the group associated with this language at white settlement were brought here today I wonder what their reaction would be? I am quite certain they would not recognise it as the language they spoke. 

That is in no way intended to denigrate their language. It served them and their needs at the time. Like many other indigenous languages in this country it is not suited to the needs of today. Paying to "translate" and use words from it is not going to change that.