00:00They're almost like shapeshifters when they're more because they look really cute and cuddly
00:04and yet they have that predatory nature. Indigenous artists and the Australian Federal
00:09Police have invented a new villain to help keep Aboriginal children safe online,
00:13a shape-shifting predator called the Digital Dingo. Being in the NT for the last 20 years
00:21and knowing what land, animals and nature means for our First Nations people, I wanted to tell
00:28the story and it's a sensitive topic as well so tell it through a story, through animals. Two new
00:34bilingual picture books, written in English and Western Aranda or Old Tiwi, used the character to
00:40warn kids about people who ask for personal photos or information via the internet. The books were
00:47developed with Indigenous Elders, linguists and artists to ensure the message resonated in remote
00:52communities. The storytelling is what's important and stories need to be connecting through language.
00:59Language is the foundation in the way that we understand our world so overcoming language barriers
01:05irrespective of any community is so important to making sure that the message resonates with the
01:12people that we're sending it to and in this case it's to our kids. One of the reasons that we
01:16also
01:16wanted to translate these books into language is because it's a way of teaching young children who
01:24may be taught in English that they will also learn in their local languages as well and it's something
01:33that can be taught by teachers or by their parents and carers or elders and create that connection
01:40through language. I think it's given our people a voice, a voice to say let's step up and do something
01:51and also the impact of BC as being co-active in taking the problem, you know, which is at hand,
02:01in hand, in hand to do something about it.
