Congratulations to Associate Professor in Linguistics, Carmel O'Shannessy, who was the successful recipient of the $20,000 Watervale Award offered by the ANU First Nations Portfolio.

This competitive philanthropic grant was open to academic staff and research students for research that focuses on Indigenous languages in public health, Indigenous identity, water, environment, education or development. 

Carmel's award was in recognition of the value of her research, particularly for Indigenous communities. Her application, "Unlocking Indigenous language treasures from linguistic documentation” will bring together a team working on the Kala Lagaw Ya and Meriam Mir language communities, traditional indigenous languages that are considered vital for transmitting cultural practices (such as song and dance, story and genealogy) and local environmental knowledge (such as winds, currents and sea life). The project will aim to produce a booklet for each language, focussing on "how to make sentences", which are vital for everyday language use, for expressing ideas and feelings, recounting events, and asking and giving information.