CHECK YOUR CHANGE: THESE NEW GOLD COINS ARE SHARING A FIRST NATIONS LANGUAGE
Next time you buy a coffee or empty your purse at the end of the day, take a closer look at your gold coins.
A new collection of $1 and $2 coins features six much loved Australian animals, each named in the Gudanji/Wakaja language.
The series, called Our Animals, Our Country, is the work of artist Ryhia Dank, and it is one of the loveliest stories you will read this week.
The artist behind the new gold coins
Ryhia is a Gudanji/Wakaja and Kalkadoon woman from Borroloola, in the Gulf of Carpentaria region of the Northern Territory, who now lives on the Sunshine Coast.
She creates under the name nardurna, which means woman.
She chose it to honour the matriarchal culture of her people.
As she told the ABC, her hope is simple.
She wants people to learn about the Country they live on, and she wants children back home to see their language in everyday life.
She also has a more urgent reason.
"There aren't many speakers of the Gudanji language left," she explained.
Meet the six animals
The collection includes five $1 designs and a $2 coin, each showing a native animal alongside its Gudanji/Wakaja name.
The red kangaroo is Marraji.
The emu is Jagurrugurru.
The saltwater crocodile is Mardumbarrayi.
The brolga is Darrmanji.
The long necked turtle is Gulamandarrina.
And the goanna, which appears on the $2 coin, is Jurrgubadi.
It is a gorgeous, practical way to learn six new words, and a fun game to play with the kids when you are counting out pocket money.
A collaboration with a bigger purpose
The coins are a collaboration between the Royal Australian Mint, Australia Post and the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, where Ryhia is an ambassador.
Some of the coins are already turning up in people's change, and the goanna $2 coin is set to enter general circulation.
That means millions of Australians could soon be carrying a piece of Gudanji culture without even realising it.
Ben Bowen, chief executive of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, sees the coins as a way to start conversations and spark curiosity.
Why language matters so much
The numbers are sobering.
According to First Languages Australia, more than 700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages have been documented, yet fewer than 100 are used in everyday contexts.
Every language carries knowledge about land, family, animals and seasons that cannot easily be replaced.
Ella Woods from First Languages Australia told the ABC that involving language custodians in projects like this is essential.
University of Queensland linguist Felicity Meakins summed up why visibility matters.
"You can't be what you can't see," she said.
For a child growing up in Borroloola, seeing their own words on money used right across the country sends a powerful message of pride and belonging.
How you can get involved
You do not need to be a coin collector to enjoy this story.
Start by simply checking your change, and see if you can spot any of the six designs.
If you find one, it is a lovely prompt to look up the traditional owners of the place where you live.
You could also explore the work of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, which supports First Nations families and communities with books and literacy programs, including books in First Languages.
Keep an eye on the Royal Australian Mint website for news on collector versions of the coins.
And if you have little ones at home, try learning the six animal names together at the dinner table.
Small coins, big impact
It is easy to overlook the gold coins jangling in the bottom of a handbag.
But thanks to Ryhia Dank, some of them now carry something precious: a living language, shared with the whole country.
That is surely worth a second look.
