Tjukurpa Palya (PJTEBL)

Overview

Tjukurpa Palya is a partial Bible in Pitjantjatjara, an Aboriginal Australian language, published by the Bible Society of Australia. The title translates roughly as "The Good Message," though it carries deeper resonances in Pitjantjatjara culture, potentially meaning "The Good Dreaming" or "The Good Law." [1] The New Testament was completed in 2002 and published alongside approximately 15% of the Old Testament, including Genesis, most of Exodus, Ruth, Jonah, 13 Psalms, and selections from 11 other Old Testament books. [2] A revised edition was released in 2007, and the 2019 edition further expanded the Old Testament content to include 1 Samuel, Daniel, and additional Psalms. [2] The translation project is jointly managed by AuSIL, Bible Society Australia, and the Uniting Church. [1]

Translation History

Translation of the Pitjantjatjara Bible began in 1978 with Old Testament portions, supported by Bible Society Australia, Wycliffe Bible Translators, the Uniting Church in Australia, and the Lutheran Church of Australia. [2] The Pitjantjatjara Bible Translation Project was incorporated as an association in 1981. [2] Over the following two decades, Pitjantjatjara translators worked with Wycliffe and Bible Society translation advisors to complete the New Testament and selected Old Testament portions. [1] In 2011, a new generation of translators -- daughters and sons of the original New Testament translators -- began work on translating the remaining Old Testament books, with the goal of producing what could become the first complete Bible in a traditional Aboriginal Australian language. [1] [2]

Language and People

Pitjantjatjara is a Western Desert language spoken by about 3,000 people, primarily in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands of South Australia. [2] According to 1996 Census data, approximately 80% of Pitjantjatjara speakers were monolingual. [2] The language remains widely used in daily life across the APY communities.

References