At Bible Society Australia (BSA) we are committed to supporting Bible translation into every mother tongue where it’s welcomed, because when people hear God’s word in the language they speak and think in, they can truly understand it for themselves, and experience it speaking to both their minds and hearts. This vision of Scripture in heart languages is being realised through projects around the country including the ongoing Bible translation into the Noongar language of Western Australia’s south-west region, and the training of Indigenous Bible translators at Nungalinya College in Darwin, where Scripture, education, and cultural preservation go hand in hand.
Marisa Hylands is a member of BSA’s Australian Languages Team as an Indigenous Relations and Support Coordinator. Her role involves connecting Indigenous Australians who want to translate the Bible in their mother tongue with the Bible translation initiatives that BSA is involved with.
Insights from the Top End Languages Forum
As part of this work, Marisa recently attended the 2025 Top End Languages Forum in Darwin. Funded by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and held at Charles Darwin University, the forum brought together First Nations language advocates from more than ten communities across the Top End of the Northern Territory to share knowledge and strengthen language preservation efforts.
A highlight for Marisa was meeting one potential Tiwi translator from Melville Island and two Tiwi Bible translators who live in Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island. Although the Tiwi language is considered one of the stronger languages in the Top End, a past visit to the Tiwi islands made Marisa realise that there is “this sense from the older generation that some work needs to be done to keep the language strong … So it was good to connect with those people and talk to them about language work and potential Bible translation.”
The forum also introduced Marisa to innovative approaches like the Salish Fluency Transfer System which is a North American model that pairs fluent speakers with learners in immersive settings. Though not officially part of the forum, the system was enthusiastically discussed by the Forum’s hosts and is being trialled in Central Australia by the Pertame School, operating out of Batchelor Institute. Marisa learned that this workshop drew attendees from 46 language groups, demonstrating widespread interest in deep, community-led language learning, and thus language revitalisation. “That number alone,” Marisa said, “spoke volumes about the desire to revitalise language in the Northern Territory, if not Australia-wide.”
For Marisa, attending the forum was both a hopeful and humbling experience. “It’s hopeful to see people having that desire to strengthen language and revitalise language and it may not be necessarily our job to do that, but I guess we could try and be advocates for it in some ways.”
Scripture in Indigenous Languages
At Bible Society Australia, the heart of all we do is the Word of God. As a Bible Society, we believe that God’s word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). When the Bible is made available in the heart languages of First Nations peoples, it affirms that their language matters, their culture is seen, and their identity is sacred. We believe the living word of God has the power to breathe life not only into individuals, but into entire communities, nurturing hope, healing, and strength for generations to come.
Prayer Points:
Join us in supporting Bible Society Australia’s Australian Languages Team, including the Noongar Bible Translation project and training through Nungalinya College.
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