Building Bridges, One Word at a Time: A Chat with Dean’s Award Winner Dr Bill Forshaw
Words by Matt Absalom and Bill Forshaw
In the academic world, the word partnership gets thrown around a lot. But true partnership – the kind that is built on deep trust, shared goals, and genuine reciprocity – is a craft in itself.
This year, the Faculty of Arts recognised that craft by presenting Dr Bill Forshaw with the Dean of Arts Award for Most Significant Contribution to Building Partnerships. As a key member of the Research Unit for Indigenous Language (RUIL), Bill’s work has been instrumental in connecting the University’s linguistic resources with the urgent, community-led desires of First Nations people to wake up and revitalise their languages.
From his work on the widely acclaimed 50 Words Project to his on-the-ground collaborations with communities, Bill exemplifies what it means to work with rather than just on. We sat down with Bill to hear about his journey from linguistics student to community partner, and what he’s learned about the art of listening along the way.
Part 1: The Origin Story (From Linguist to Partner)
1. Beyond the Theory
Bill, huge congratulations on the award. It’s a wonderful recognition of the way you work. Taking it back to the beginning, as an alumnus of this School yourself, you’ve walked the path from student to specialist. Many linguists start out fascinated by syntax or phonology in a somewhat abstract way. How did you make the transition from studying linguistics as a science here at SOLL to working deeply in the community space? Was there a specific moment or field trip where the penny dropped for you?
Thanks Matt. As you mention, I was very fortunate to be introduced to linguistics and more specifically the brilliance of Australian Aboriginal languages as a student at SOLL. First as an undergraduate and later as a PhD candidate supervised by Prof. Rachel Nordlinger and Assoc. Prof. Barb Kelly. This led me to engage with the Murrinhpatha speaking community of Wadeye, NT.
Wadeye was my PhD research site. Here, I investigated children’s acquisition of Murrinhpatha’s complex morphological systems
Towards the end of my PhD candidature, I moved from Wurundjeri country (Melbourne) to Diminin country (Wadeye). With the encouragement of my partner, Megan Wood, who already had many years experience as a teacher working in NT bilingual programs, I took up a position at the local school which provided a bilingual program in Murrinhpatha and English.
It was during this time that I began to reflect more on my own ways of working. At the school I was able to use my skills as a linguist to support the work of local Aboriginal teachers. I was able to collaborate with the teachers in connecting their students with local stories, songs, language and culture. Together we were working to provide a more culturally responsive education.
While living in Wadeye I was able to move from coming prepared with research questions, to asking people “What would you like to do?” Luckily, I’ve been able to continue asking this question through the RUIL’s Language Worker Training program.
2. The Shift in Perspective
Moving from a traditional research model to a partnership model often requires a shift in mindset. Did you find it challenging to unlearn some of the traditional academic habits – where the researcher is the ‘expert’ – to a space where the community holds the expertise and you are there to support?
There is undoubtedly a history of research being conducted on Indigenous peoples which is extractive, exploitative and harmful. We must continue to learn from these mistakes, so we don’t repeat them.
There is also a history of people working in partnership to achieve great things. We must continue to strengthen and build partnerships with the understanding that this will lead to better research outcomes. A key challenge is recognising that this way of working is not always supported by university structures, we must continue to seek ways to challenge these.
Part 2: The Work (Specifics & General Philosophy)
3. The 50 Words Project
One of the most visible partnerships you’ve been involved with is the 50 Words Project, which brings Indigenous languages to a huge audience online. Can you tell us a bit about the mechanics of a project like that? How do you ensure that the map isn’t just a data set, but a reflection of genuine relationships with the speakers?
The 50 Words project, led by Prof. Rachel Nordlinger and Assoc. Prof. Nick Thieberger, invites the general public to engage with the diversity of languages around Australia. The fantastic thing about the map is that it allows communities to represent their languages the way they wish to represent them. Language speakers share their spellings and more importantly their voices. When needed RUIL is able to provide support to people wanting to get their language on the map, often involving the revitalisation of words from historical manuscripts and recordings.
4. The ‘Invisible’ Work
This award specifically recognises building partnerships. A lot of that work happens quietly – cups of tea, long phone calls, and showing up when there isn’t necessarily a grant deadline. What do you think is the most undervalued aspect of building trust with communities, specifically in the context of language revitalisation?
As you acknowledge, building partnerships is something that takes time and ongoing commitment. RUIL’s Language Worker Training program, which seeks to respond to the aspirations of Aboriginal communities and individuals working with their own languages, provides the space to show up and build trust over time without needing anything in return. In removing the pressures of needing to get that grant or submit that paperit enables space for listening and for growing collaboration.
5. Measuring Success
In a university context, we often measure success by papers published. But in your work with communities – whether it’s the Dhudhuroa Waywurru Nations or others – how do they measure success? And how do you bring those two different sets of priorities into alignment?
That’s an interesting question. I’m not sure I’ve ever explicitly asked this of people I’ve worked with before. I’m able to see the importance and joy that people get from connecting with and using their languages, whether this be reconstructing a pronominal paradigm or creating a new song.
In many ways the different aims you mention are in strong alignment. The University is moving to recognise the importance of Indigenous knowledge in the academy and the importance of Indigenous peoples as knowledge holders. It is up to all of us to build and share the narrative around the potential for alignment of these priorities and how best we can respond to them.
Part 3: The Big Picture
6. Why Language Matters
For those reading who might be outside the field of linguistics, could you articulate why these partnerships are so critical right now? What is at stake when we talk about preserving or waking up these languages?
Before invasion, languages in Australia were flourishing with hundreds of different languages across the continent. Each of these languages is inextricably linked with country and people’s identity.
The impacts of colonisation on language were disastrous. Today, only 12 traditional languages continue to be acquired by children as a first language. It is incumbent on Australian society to support people in the revitalisation of their languages.
As one of my collaborators, Linton George, says (in far more colourful language than I can use here) “The government destroyed these languages, they can pay to fix it”.
7. Advice for Future Linguists
We have many students in SOLL who are passionate about Indigenous languages and want to help. If you could give one piece of advice to a young linguist about how to enter this space respectfully and effectively, what would it be?
For those wanting to use their skills in this space, there may be opportunities to build relationships through volunteering and internships with various language organisations. Be prepared to travel and spend time with people as languages are spread right across the continent. It’s important to find people that are working in ways you admire and to seek to learn from them.
Thank you, Bill, for sharing your insights and for the incredible work you continue to do with RUIL. It’s inspiring to see a SOLL alum leading the way in such a vital area. For those interested in learning more about the 50 Words Project or the wider work of the Research Unit for Indigenous Language, head to the RUIL website – there is always more to learn and more listening to be done.