Importance of Narm | Answers to frequently asked questions

As part of the celebrations of the AFLW Indigenous Round, the Melbourne Football Club was named the Narrma Football Club.

The initiative was first introduced in 2022 and was designed to recognize and share the history of Australia’s Indigenous people, while encouraging productive conversations among Narrm Football Club members and fans, as well as the wider football community.

The club consulted with the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Corporation who provided the club with invaluable knowledge and permission to use the word Woiwurrung and bring this initiative to life.

The initiative has sparked a wave of new rebrands across the league, with a total of six clubs now choosing to take on their traditional names during the Indigenous rounds.

Although the acceptance of Aboriginal language in the football world is growing, it still generates a lot of conversations and with those conversations comes a lot of questions.

Here are answers to common questions asked about Narm Football Club, some of which are answered thanks to the help of Wurundjeri, Dja Dja Wurrung and Nguai Illum Wurrung artist Kai-ya Nicholson Ward.

Why football club “Narm”?

Narm is the traditional Aboriginal name for Melbourne. It covers the traditional lands of the Kulin people, a group of five Aboriginal nations; Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung, Wadawurrung, Taungurung and Dja Dja Wurrung.

The spiritual home of the Melbourne MCG Football Club is on traditional Wurundjeri land and lies within the wider area traditionally known as the Narm.

Narm comes from Woiwurrung, the language spoken by the traditional owners of Melbourne and its surrounding areas, the Wurundjeri people.

Since the name “Narm” is an oral translation, there are several spelling variations. Narm, Naarm and Nairm are widely used and accepted.

Why is it important to recognize Aboriginal languages?

“I think it’s really important to recognize Australia’s Aboriginal languages ​​because unfortunately many of them are no longer spoken fluently,” Nicholson Ward said.

“There are 38 Aboriginal languages ​​in Victoria and unfortunately there are no people left who speak them fluently.

“So at this point we, the Victorian Aboriginal community, are revitalizing our language.”

How was the Woywurrung language passed down from generation to generation?

“The Woirwurrung language is strictly an oral language,” Nicholson Ward said.

“It wasn’t written down, so now that it’s been banned, we’re able to have this language because of people coming into the missions and the reserves and actually putting it into written English.

“We had to sum up all the different accents people had and how they wrote them and boil it down into one simple word.

“So there are also many different spellings and versions of different words.”

How can Narrm fans show their support for Indigenous culture?

“I encourage (fans) to look up the country (they) live in and the language they speak and find out as much as they can about them,” Nicholson Ward said.

“I would like to encourage Narrm fans to include Indigenous voices, culture and language in everything they do, in their daily lives, in their workplace.

“It’s just a good way to help preserve our culture.”

How do I know what country I’m in?

Supporters can visit the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) website to learn about the traditional custodians of the country in which they live, work and play.

Our home, MCG, is located on Wurundjeri land, the homeland of the Wurundjeri people.

During the AFL and AFLW seasons the Dees visit many different traditional grounds including but not limited to Kaurna (Adelaide Oval), Whadjuk (Optus Stadium), Yougambe (First People’s Stadium), Gadigal (SCG), Arrernte (TIO Traeger Park). , Wadawurrung (GMHBA Stadium) and Bunurong (Casey Fields).

The AIATSIS map of Australia’s Indigenous Peoples can be accessed here.

How can I begin to further educate myself on Indigenous culture?

Learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, culture and history by finding trusted resources developed by Indigenous people.

Visit the Narrm Football Club hub to help you take your first step into education, with links to a range of important educational resources.

Access the Narrm Football Club Center here.