Presenters: Dr Jodi Edwards, Nicole Smede

This presentation intends to evoke conversations around the strength of implementing the enriched Aboriginal philosophies of sharing ocean stories to assist Australia moving toward improving sustainability of Aboriginal languages and connecting our whales’ songs. Our languages, stories, songs, and whale sentinels play a significant role in many coastal Aboriginal communities around Australia. Transitions must be undertaken to pave a way that will focus on discovering and understanding cultural knowledge in song lines, stories and yarns stories associated with the coming and going of the whales on the south-eastern coastlines. At the forefront of sharing language and Cultural stories is a focus on the marine environment along the Australian East Coast and how marine megafauna play an important role in the development of sustainable languages in communities. Aboriginal languages are becoming a sustainable industry within communities and utilising the old ways of sharing stories, and song to enhance language is just beginning in Australia. This is an exciting opportunity for history, culture, and researchers to influence how these emergent sustainable industries are developed and how whale songs play a role in shaping a sustainable future for both our ocean megafauna sentinels, whilst leaving language, stories, and songs with the Custodians of the coastline.