Language Classes

Nēwara delivers community language classes for Anaiwan people and other Aboriginal people living on Anaiwan Country, alongside language programs in local schools. To support and enhance this educational work, the organisation has developed a growing suite of culturally grounded language teaching and learning resources that serve both community members and students.

Research Projects and Publications

One of Nēwara's major ongoing research projects is the development the first Anaiwan language dictionary and grammar. They have also produced and published a book which has sold 2,000 copies, 'Surviving New England: a history of Aboriginal resistance & resilience through the first forty years of the colonial apocalypse' (winner of a NSW Premier's History Award in 2020). Some of their other research projects centre around song revival, reconstructing the traditional kinship system, and mapping Country.

On-Country Revival of Language and Culture

In 2022, Nēwara ran a successful fundraising campaign to buy back nearly 600 acres of Anaiwan bushland. This significant patch of Country, now returned to Anaiwan hands, is becoming a vital hub for on-Country language and cultural revival, the reclamation of custodial responsibilities such as cultural burning, and community healing. The bushblock provides a place where Anaiwan people can gather to sing their songs, dance their dances, and share their stories—reconnecting with Country and each other.

Nēwara's work addresses the damage inflicted upon Anaiwan culture, community, and Country by colonisation at a local level. Through positive projects, programs, and initiatives centered on reviving language, culture, and tradition on Anaiwan Country, the organisation instills pride in identity among current and future generations of Anaiwan people while creating spaces and opportunities for healing, reconnection, and community capacity building.

While Anaiwan community remains Nēwara's primary focus, the organisation's cultural reclamation work creates positive ripple effects throughout the broader Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in the region.non-Aboriginal community locally.

At the core of Nēwara's operations is the principle of Aboriginal self-determination, with an overall approach that is decolonial in nature. The organisation was established in 2016 by a gathering of Anaiwan people in Armidale, and continues to operate through consensus-based decision-making processes that honor collective community voice.

Nēwara's Board and membership are comprised entirely of Anaiwan people - women and men across different age groups, including Elders, representing various local Anaiwan family lines. The organisation operates organically and non-hierarchically, with consensus-based decision-making processes. Nēwara's work extends beyond its formal Board, staff, and membership, welcoming broader community participation in its efforts.