Join Josh Pyke and Justine Clarke to help save Indigenous languages

Imagine every primary school student across Australia learning and performing an Indigenous songfor a cause that supports literacy* in remote* communities.

This is the vision* of Busking* for Change 2024, a musical fundraiser* by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

Created by ARIA award-winner and ILF ambassador* Josh Pyke, the initiative* invites primary schools nationwide to participate by learning and performing a song in a First Nations language, raising vital* funds to help Indigenous communities access and create books in their native languages.

The 2024 song Shordi Krik was written in English and Kriol by the students of Barunga Remote Community School in the Northern Territory in collaboration* with ILF ambassador Justine Clarke.

“I have a long relationship with the Barunga community and have been singing songs with them every year at the Barunga Festival,” Ms Clarke said.

She said the song was based on a poem the students had written from their own experiences at a local swimming hole they called Shordi Krik.

“We would love everyone in Australia singing Shordi Krik,” she said.

“For the students, parents and elders in Barunga, it will give them an enormous sense of pride knowing people are behind them and trying to sing in one of their languages.

“This song is really easy to learn, it’s really fun. You can play it on the ukulele and guitar, there are backing tracks* and the ILF offer all kinds of learning support.

“Every time you sing the song, you’re connecting directly with kids in remote communities and you’ll be an ambassador for the ILF.”

Busking for Change 2023 saw 84 schools participating and raising more than $81,000.

For 2024, the goal is even more ambitious*, with a target of 115 schools and $110,000 in donations.

These funds will support the ILF’s Community Publishing program, which empowers* communities to write and illustrate their stories in their native languages.

Proud Jingili, Mudburra, and Mangarrayi woman Cindy Manfong, the ILF publishing projects editor, is also a former student of Barunga Remote Community School.

She said the ILF played an integral* role in ensuring that remote communities have the resources to share their rich cultural narratives* with the world, fostering* a sense of pride and preserving* their unique languages for future generations.

“I didn’t really see books in Kriol or in any Indigenous languages growing up,” Ms Manfong said.

“It wasn’t until I started working with the ILF that I started seeing more Indigenous language books.

“I think it would have definitely helped a lot with my identity, to see more of those books in Kriol.”

“I do love that we are doing Busking for Change and trying to get the schools behind us to learn this song.”

The fundraiser starts in week one of Term 3, culminating* in performances on Indigenous Literacy Day, Wednesday 4 September.

Schools raising $50 or more will receive a Busking for Change book pack, featuring bilingual* children’s books like Shordi Krik and Country Tells Us When.

Additional prizes will be awarded to the schools that raise the most funds, including special categories for small schools and a prize draw.

Register at buskingforchange.ilf.org.au

GLOSSARY

• literacy: the ability to read and write
• remote: far away from other places, buildings, or people
• vision: a plan or goal for the future
• busking: performing music or other entertainment in public places, often to raise money
• fundraiser: an event or campaign to collect money for a cause
• initiative: a new plan or process to achieve something
• vital: very important or necessary
• ambassador: a representative or promoter of a cause or activity
• collaboration: working together with others to achieve something
• backing tracks: recorded music that accompanies a singer or performer
• ambitious: having a strong desire to achieve a goal, often requiring hard work and determination
• empowers: gives power or authority to someone; helps them to feel more confident and capable
• integral: very important and necessary
• narratives: stories or accounts of events or experiences
• fostering: encouraging the development or growth of something
• preserving: keeping something in its original state or in good condition
• culminating: reaching the highest point or final stage of something
• bilingual: able to speak or use two languages

EXTRA READING

School brings class to the outback

Reconciliation after the Voice vote

Song to save Indigenous languages

Teachers go to Shakespeare school

QUICK QUIZ

1. What is the main goal of Busking for Change 2024?
2. Who created the Busking for Change initiative?
3. What languages is the song Shordi Krik written in?
4. How many schools participated in Busking for Change 2023, and how much money was raised?
5. What is the ILF’s Community Publishing program designed to do?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Tell your teachers!
Design a poster. The purpose of your poster is to convince all of the teachers to support and help organise Busking for Change in your school.

Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Communication Design

2. Extension
Why is it so important to keep all Indigenous languages alive? Write down as many reasons as you can. Your reasons should be written in full sentences.

Time: allow at least 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, History

VCOP ACTIVITY
Wow word recycle
There are plenty of wow words (ambitious pieces of vocabulary) being used in the article. Some are in the glossary, but there might be extra ones from the article that you think are exceptional as well.

Identify all the words in the article that you think are not common words, and particularly good choices for the writer to have chosen.

Select three words you have highlighted to recycle into your own sentences.

If any of the words you identified are not in the glossary, write up your own glossary for them.

Extension
Find a bland sentence from the article to up-level. Can you add more detail and description? Can you replace any base words with more specific synonyms?

Down-level for a younger audience. Find a sentence in the article that is high level. Now rewrite it for a younger audience so they can understand the words without using the glossary.