In the Wonderverse soundtrack Elisha incorporates singing in Pitjantjatjara, one of the hundreds of First Nations languages in Australia. The lyrics are:
Mara katu, Mara, Mara, katula (Hands up, hands, hands, put them up)
Tjitji, tjitji, tjitji tjuta (Kids, kids, all the kids)
Discuss
Why it i important to sing songs in language.
How can singing help someone feel connected to their culture?
How might it feel for someone to hear their traditional language in a song?
Do you think songs are a good way to pass on knowledge?
What do you think can happen if we don’t sing or speak a language anymore?
Invite children to share the languages spoken in their family.
Do you know any words in languages other than English?
Do you or your relatives speak another language at home?
Do you have songs or words that have a special meaning in your family? How would you feel if these songs, words and languages were no longer used?
Explore more
Other songs in language include:
Baker Boy’s ‘Meditjin’ in Yolngu Matha
Aunty Cherie Watkin’s greeting song ‘Niina Marni’ in Kaurna
The Ripple Effect’s ‘The Little Crab’ in Na-Kara
You can find more songs in the Dhungala Choral Connection Song Book written by Jessica Hitchcock and Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO with children from around the country.