In celebration of, and in solidarity with, the spirit of NAIDOC Week 2021, the Kadimah in collaboration with the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation (Monash University) were honoured to host an online panel discussion exploring why Aboriginal languages revival is necessary, beautiful and beneficial.
Language reclamation, revitalization and reinvigoration is emerging as a key way to reconnect with heritage, and recover cultural autonomy as well as the spiritual and intellectual sovereignty of Indigenous communities. Our panel explored what was being done by Yiddishists and Aboriginal Languages Advocates and what our two communities can learn from each other.
See Professor Rebecca Margolis (Director, ACJC) and Kadimah Board member Professor Kathy Laster (Chair of the Victorian Interpreter and Translation Service LanguageLoop) in conversation with Professor Ghil’ad Zuckermann (Professor of Linguistics at Adelaide University and world expert on Language Reclamation) and Yoolongteeyt Vicki Couzens (Gunditjmara woman, RMIT University Vice Chancellors Indigenous Research Fellow and Senior Knowledge Custodian for Possum Skin Cloak Story and Language Reclamation and Revival in her Keerray Woorroong Mother Tongue).
The event also premiered the reading of a poem by Jenna Richards, proud Barngarla woman, of the Galinyala (Port Lincoln, South Australia), “Moolga Widyooroo Windoo Windoo” (Tears Flowing Endlessly) in Barngarla and English about linguicide (language killing).
This event was held on Sunday 11th July 2021.