The Australian government has embraced a global push to keep Indigenous languages alive, announcing a multi-million dollar boost for language education.
A new pilot strategy will partner 11 language centres with local service providers in a push to protect culture via the government's Indigenous Language and Arts program.
The move follows the launch of the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages in Paris last week.
On Friday Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said the $4 million package will help see languages used on a "daily basis".
"Indigenous languages are so important to the identity and connection with culture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," Ms Burney said.
"Promoting the use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in health and early childhood settings demonstrates our collective support and drive to achieve positive health and wellbeing outcomes in First Nations communities."
In addition, the program will assess language as a cultural determinant of mental health and wellbeing, education and employment opportunities in line with Closing the Gap targets.
Arts Minister Tony Burke said the languages were vital to understanding culture.
"At one level there's no such thing as translation. The English language simply doesn't have a matching word or concept for every other language. And certainly not for First Nations languages," he said.
"By working to preserve and pass on these languages we're ensuring that words, concepts and expressions that tell stories going back to the first sunrise on this continent will always live here."
The government has flagged its intention to work with the UN's International Decade's Directions Group and First Nations stakeholders to put a domestic action plan in place for the next decade - poised for presentation at the PULiiMA Indigenous Language and Technology Conference in August, 2023.
UN General Assembly president Csaba Kőrösi painted a stark picture of the threat to native tongues internationally.
"If we are to successfully protect nature, we must listen to Indigenous peoples, and we must do so in their own languages," he said.
Mr Kőrösi highlighted the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization assessment of Indigenous peoples being guardians "to almost 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity".
"Every two weeks an Indigenous language dies, this should ring our alarm," he said.
"Indigenous people are keepers and their languages are channels of potentially life saving knowledge."
Funding applications for the Indigenous Languages and Arts program are expected to open in early 2023.
