The award-winning children's cartoon series Bluey has been translated into an Australian Indigenous language for the first time. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
Five episodes were released in Yolngu Matha, a collection of dialects from north-east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
The BBC's Simon Atkinson spoke to the show's producers, who hope the project will amplify First Nation voices, and help language preservation through storytelling.
Bluey is an Australian animated television series that has been airing since 2018. The series has won numerous awards, including Emmys and BAFTAs. The main character is a blue heeler puppy named Bluey, who embarks on various adventures with her family.
Yolngu Matha is one of the world's oldest languages, with a history spanning over 60,000 years. It is spoken by approximately 7,000 people. The translation project aims to leverage Bluey's popularity to contribute to the preservation of this language.
According to the producers, the Yolngu Matha version of Bluey will appeal to both children and adults. The show's content promotes family values and friendship—universal themes that resonate across cultures.
The translation project is part of a broader initiative to preserve the cultural heritage of Australia's Indigenous peoples. In recent years, various projects have been implemented in Australia to support Aboriginal languages, many of which are endangered.
The Yolngu Matha episodes of Bluey will air on Australia's ABC television network. They are expected to become available on other platforms later.