I am an Australian linguist whose work has focused on documenting minority Indigenous languages and training linguists and Indigenous community members in methods to reclaim and revitalise languages.
I co-founded the Resource Network for Linguistic Diversity (RNLD) in 2004. From 2009, I developed and managed RNLD’s Documenting and Revitalising Indigenous Languages Training Program that aims to deliver grassroots training across Australia to Aboriginal people in family groups, communities and Indigenous organisations. I directed the DRIL program until 2017.
My training work has also taken me to international training institutes. I was a founding member of the InField/CoLang Advisory Circle, and taught workshops at InField 2008 (UC Santa Barbara), InField 2010 (U Oregon), CoLang 2014 (U Texas at Arlington) and CoLang 2016 (U Alaska Fairbanks). I also taught at the First Nations and Endangered Languages Program at UBC, Vancouver (2009), and at CILLDI (Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Institute, Edmonton) in 2009 and 2010.
Prior to my work with the RNLD, I taught linguistics in academic roles for eighteen years, including at Monash University from 2000-2008.
In my academic roles, I built significant documentary expertise in the endangered Austronesian languages of Central Maluku, eastern Indonesia, particularly Alune (ALP) and Kouro (Amahai) (AMQ).
My research was supported by grants from
- the Australian Research Council
- the Endangered Languages Documentation Program
- the Volkswagen DOBES Program
- the Wenner-Gren Foundation
