As Communities across Australia celebrate NAIDOC Week 2026 and this year's theme, "50 Years of Deadly", the Aboriginal Languages Trust (ALT) is proud to announce an important new partnership that will help return Language and Cultural knowledge to communities across New South Wales. 

The ALT and the Australian Museum (AM) have been awarded $2.5 million in funding to deliver a new phase of the First Nations Community Access to Archives (FNCAA) Project, helping improve access to archival materials relating to Aboriginal Languages, Stories, Kinship and Culture. 

The announcement reflects the spirit of this year's NAIDOC Week theme by supporting the preservation and sharing of Aboriginal Languages and Cultural knowledge for future generations. By improving access to significant archival records, the project will help Communities strengthen connections to identity, Country and culture while ensuring important knowledge can continue to be passed on. 

The partnership will draw on approximately one million pages of archival material held within the Australian Museum's collections, creating new opportunities for Aboriginal communities to access records that support Language revitalisation, Cultural renewal and intergenerational knowledge sharing. 

As NAIDOC Week celebrates 50 years of recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander strength, achievement and leadership, the project highlights the critical role Languages play in carrying Culture, knowledge and identity across generations.

ALT Executive Director Brendan Moyle said the project responds to a long-standing call from Communities seeking greater access to archival records and the knowledge they contain. 

"Aboriginal Languages carry our knowledge, identity and connection to Country. Communities across NSW have called for greater access to their archived records and are leading the important work of reclaiming and reawakening Language knowledge. This project will help Communities access significant archival materials that support Language revitalisation and Cultural renewal, ensuring valuable knowledge held in archives can be returned to the people and Communities it belongs to." 

The FNCAA Project supports Community-led access to historical records containing Aboriginal Languages, Cultural knowledge, family histories and stories. Through the Australian Museum partnership, Communities will have greater opportunities to discover and access materials that can contribute to Language learning, teaching and revitalisation.

The Australian Museum's collections include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Collections, Aboriginal Archaeology, Rare Books, Research Library and Archive materials, representing an invaluable record of First Nations histories, cultures and Languages. 

The project will also support the development of the First Nations archives and museum workforce, creating employment opportunities for First Nations professionals and strengthening Aboriginal leadership within the cultural heritage sector. 

Importantly, the FNCAA Project continues to place Communities at the centre of decision-making, ensuring archival materials are accessed, interpreted and shared in ways that respect Cultural protocols, Community priorities and Aboriginal ownership of knowledge. 

The Aboriginal Languages Trust is pleased to work alongside the Australian Museum and project partners to ensure valuable Language and Cultural knowledge held within archives can be returned to the Communities to whom it belongs, strengthening Aboriginal Languages for generations to come. 

Learn more about the project.