Jeanine Leane, a Wiradjuri writer and poetry editor, Vicki Couzens, a Gunditjmara cultural custodian, and Evelyn Araluen, a celebrated poet and researcher, discuss the urgent revival of First Nations languages in Australia. They share personal journeys, highlighting the emotional ties to language and its pivotal role in cultural identity. The conversation touches on the significance of specific words like 'Gurundi', the challenges of funding language initiatives, and the power of collaborative authorship to amplify Indigenous voices. Language emerges as a vital tool for healing and community strength.
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insights INSIGHT
Languages Asleep, Not Extinct
Indigenous languages are not extinct but asleep due to unsafe conditions after colonisation.
These languages can be revived when it's safe to express them again.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Teach Local Indigenous Language
Schools should teach the Indigenous language of their local country as the primary language other than English.
This approach supports real language reclamation and cultural connection.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Evelyn's Language Reclamation Journey
Evelyn Araluen began learning Bundjalung language in her early 20s to reconnect with her culture and identity.
This journey transformed her poetic voice and deepened her link to her ancestral lands.
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The visitor
Maeve Brennan
The Visitor is a haunting tale of Anastasia King, a 22-year-old who returns to her grandmother's house in Dublin after spending six years in Paris with her mother. The story delves into Anastasia's complicated homecoming, her relationship with her cold and distant grandmother, and the emotional costs of her choices. It explores themes of love, loss, grief, and the notion of home, highlighting the complexities of family relationships and the impact of past decisions on present lives. The novella was written in the mid-1940s but remained unpublished until its recent discovery in a university archive[2][4][5].
Wiradjuri Dictionary
Wiradjuri Dictionary
Uncle Dr. Stan Grant
Drop Bear
Drop Bear
Evelyn Araluen
At the time of colonisation, there were more than 250 Indigenous languages spoken in Australia, but these days, all are considered endangered. Many First Nations people are working hard to revive and reclaim their mother tongues. In the anthology, Words to Sing the World Alive: Celebrating First Nations Languages, 40 Indigenous Australians share words and phrases that are meaningful to them.
This event was recorded at the Clunes Booktown Festival on on Dja Dja Wurrung Country on 22 March 2025.
Speakers
Evelyn AraleunPoet, researcher, and co-editor of Overland Literary magazineAuthor, Dropbear (Stella Prize winner 2022)Bundjalung speaker
Vicki CouzensSenior Knowledge Custodian for Possum Skin Cloak Story and Language Reclamation and Revival in her Keerray Woorroong mother tongue
Jeanine LeanePoet, essayist and criticPoetry editor for Meanjin magazineAuthor, Purple Threads (2010 David Unaipon Award for Indigenous Writing), Gawimarra: Gathering (winner, 2025 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Poetry)Wiradjuri speaker
Jane Harrison (host)Playwright and novelist, Stolen, Rainbow's End and The VisitorsFormer director, Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival
Big Ideas 
