Authenticity in toponymy

Abstract

Toponymy answers in part the conference question “What lies behind the idea, common in indigenous communities, that a language may have an intrinsic link with a place, or a traditional way of life?” Every place name has a story behind it, of how it came to be. Drawing on examples from central Australia, I start from the oft-referred links between indigenous toponyms and ancestral Dreaming activity constituting the land and resources at particular places, and consider the qualities of a place name’s story. Spellings and pronunciation inaccuracies are rife among the official records of indigenous toponyms in Australia. Another misleading minor official practice has been the bestowal of words from indigenous sources as official toponyms but giving the false impression of an autochthonous name. This practice can only serve to undermine local traditional knowledge, as younger literate landowners encounter such toponyms with no accessible history. More recognition can be given to indigenous efforts to correct clear inaccuracies and reclaim place names whose stories are theirs and not outsiders. Show more