iltyem-iltyem | Hand talk

Iltyem-iltyem

“[sign language] is the sacredness of the hand. It’s part of respect. When people use sign their spirit feels well”

— MK Turner, Alice Springs (in Green 2021: 24)

“We are recording sign language to keep it strong. We are losing some of our elders, and they want us to record their knowledge"

— April Campbell Pengart, Ti Tree

The iltyem-iltyem website is the first searchable on-line resource for Australian Indigenous sign languages. To view the iltyem-iltyem website, click here.

The project aims to:

- make culturally appropriate, accessible sign language learning resources

- document and archive sign language materials for future generations

- raise the profile of Australian Indigenous sign languages

To learn more about the use of hand signs in Central Australian languages, click here for the slides from the Iltyem-iltyem talk at the Knowledge Intersections Symposium September 21st, 2021.

For further information tune into the Parliament of Victoria webinar Culture and Communication (https://www.facebook.com/saved/?list_id=10158475218352194) 23 September 2021.