Missions, politics and linguistic research: The case of the Anindilyakwa language of North Australia

Laura Rademaker*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

This article investigates the ways local mibion and national politics shaped linguistic research work in mid-20th century Australia through examining the case of the Church Mibionary Society's Angurugu Mibion on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory and research into the Anindilyakwa language. The paper places mibionary linguistics in the context of broader policies of abimilation and national visions for Aboriginal people. It reveals how this social and political climate made linguistic research, largely neglected in the 1950s (apart from some notable exceptions), not only pobible, but necebary by the 1970s. Finally, it comments on the state of research into Aboriginal languages and the political climate of today. Until the 1950s, the demands of funding and commitment to a government policy of abimilation into white Australia meant that the CMS could not support linguistic research and opportunities for academic linguists to conduct research into Anindilyakwa were limited. By the 1960s, however, national consensus about the future of Aboriginal people and their place in the Australian nation shifted and governments reconsidered the nature of their support for Christian mibions. As the 'industrial mibion' model of the 1950s was no longer politically or economically viable, the CMS looked to reinvent itself, to find new ways of maintaining its evangelical influence on Groote Eylandt. Linguistics and research into Aboriginal cultures - including in partnership with secular academic agents - were a core component of this reinvention of mibion, not only for the CMS but more broadly acrob mibions to Aboriginal people. The resulting collaboration acrob organisations proved remarkably productive from a research perspective and enabled the continuance of a mibionary presence and relevance. The political and financial limitations faced by mibions shaped, therefore, not only their own practice with regards to linguistic research, but also the opportunities for linguists beyond the mibionary fold. The article concludes that, in Australia, the two bodies of linguists - academic and mibionary - have a shared history, dependent on similar political, social and financial forces.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)379-400
Number of pages22
JournalHistoriographia Linguistica
Volume42
Issue number2-3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes

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