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| Source: Diocese of Townsville FB Page |
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| Source: Archdiocese of Sydney FB Page |
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| Source: Archdiocese of Sydney FB Page |
Looking at the images of enthusiastic young Aussies attending World Youth Day in Panama I wonder how many of them could give the traditional name of their place of origin as they introduce themselves?
There are pics of young pilgrims with large Commonwealth of Australia flags. However I have yet to see that anyone has also carried our other National Flags of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples to this international gathering.
Learning the Aboriginal meaning of place names will deepen our connection to the land we all live on, say Indigenous historians, at the launch of the ABC's This Place project.
Bunurong, Punniler panner and Yuin author and historian Bruce Pascoe lives on the junction of three rivers near Mallacoota, on the southern end of Yuin country.
All three rivers have Aboriginal names which point to the richness and cultural significance of the area.
"Something like 60-70 per cent of place names in Australia are Aboriginal names," Mr Pascoe said.
"They show how deeply and intimately our old people knew the land, how much they loved and respected the country. It's something we should all be proud of."
Mr Pascoe is a committee member of First Languages Australia, which has launched This Place in partnership with the ABC.
This UN Year of Indigenous Languages offers a great opportunity for leadership from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and those responsible for Youth Ministry in my Church.
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