Aboriginal elder the last speaker of his language (fwd linnk)

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Aboriginal elder the last speaker of his language

Peter Michael and Natalie Gregg
June 19, 2009 12:00am
Australia

HE is a living relic and an ancient linguistic treasure.

Kuku Thaypan elder Tommy George, 82, is the sole surviving fluent speaker of his
language.

"I'm the last of them," said the son of an Aboriginal king. "Everybody knows
that."

When the famed tracker dies, 48,000 years of oral history – from beyond the
Dreamtime – dies with him.

Kuku Thaypan, one of four Aboriginal languages spoken in Quinkan country on Cape
York, is destined for extinction like 120 other dialects lost across Australia
since European settlement.

Despite efforts of academics, the primordial tongue and ancient secrets of the
old healer handed down from generation to generation will likely vanish.

Access full article below:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25656197-952,00.html