Email the Author
You can use this page to email Grace Tongatua about Illustrated Children's Dictionary - Yolŋukurr Mathakurr.
About the Book
I am updating the children's dictionary that I self-published in 2012.
This version has been made possible by the contributions and corrections of many people. For this I am very grateful. If there are any changes that you might want to suggest please don't hesitate to contact me. This is a project that is very much a work in progress. I just did not want to wait until it was perfect before making it available. I want it out there so that people can use this as a starting point to create other reference materials. (Just like they have done at Shepherdson College on Elcho Island.)
Please feel free to join me on this adventure of updating this book.
I am adding additional words and also doing the illustrations. If you have images that you have the copyrights to (as in you took the photo or created it yourself) and you would like it included please let me know.
The previous version of the dictionary can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADui3fPZRiE
You will receive any updates if you 'purchase' a copy now.
Any money received shall go towards funding a print run of this dictionary for use in the home to support parents in helping their children to be literate.
About the Author
Grace Tongatua has been involved with Yolngu communities since 2007 and has a strong passion for developing resources, for use by Yolngu Matha speakers with their children, to develop literacy in first language.
Grace has been teaching in the Northern Territory since 2006. She has taught at Borroloola, Milingimbi, Shepherdson College on Elcho Island and Ludmilla in Darwin. She has a Bachelor of Laws (honors first class), a Bachelor of Education and a Graduate Certificate in Yolngu Studies. She is currently studying towards achieving a Bachelor of Indigenous Languages and Linguistics.
As part of the Graduate Certificate in Yolngu Studies, Grace collated and edited an illustrated children’s dictionary in Yolngu Matha (Djambarrpuyŋu). She spent over $2,000 to self-publish this and copies of this work are currently being used at the school at Milingimbi.
Grace Tongatua also maintains a Youtube Channel ‘Learning Yolngu Matha with a Balanda Miyalk. <https://www.youtube.com/user/BalandaMiyalk>.
Grace is currently exploring ways to fund the publication of a revised edition of the dictionary as well as other early childhood literacy materials. These are for use in the home. Not for use in the schools as literacy begins in the home.
Currently Grace is enjoying staying at home, on Galiwin’ku, looking after her two boys.