Guyaata Dhanggati (Speak in Dhanggati)

MVC is honoured to have Dhanggati elder, Aunty Esther Quinlan, sharing the language and culture with our students.

Our year 9 students spend one lesson a week learning the language with Aunty Esther. Lessons are also available to older students on Tuesday mornings.

The students are learning through traditional stories, games and art, as well as reading and writing. They have decorated clap sticks, created paintings, composed books, created dialogue for animations and cooked damper.

Aunty Esther brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to every lesson. She has travelled Australia, living in remote Indigenous communities and keeps the students enthralled with her tales of people from other places. She also keeps the students well informed about the history of Indigenous people in the Macleay Valley.