scripod.com

‘Should have been my birthright’ - the journey to reclaim a lost language

Shownote

Languages are so much more than words and sounds — they encode culture and shape our identity. So how do you connect to your culture, if language is lost? While many Indigenous languages have already been lost, and more are at risk of extinction, in Australia, people are increasingly trying to revitalise certain Indigenous languages. ABC Radio National presenter and Gamilaraay woman Rudi Bremer is on her own journey of reconnecting with her mother tongue, and it's bringing up a mixed bag of feelings — from a profound sense of loss, to deep contentment and belonging. Guests: Jade McHughes, PhD candidate and Ngarrindjeri woman  Trinity Clarke, Language worker and Kuku Yalanji woman Credits: * Reporter/presenter: Rudi Bremer, Gamilaraay woman * Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar * Producer: Kaylene Langford, Guringai woman * Producer: Rose Kerr * Senior producer: James Bullen You can hear more from presenter Rudi Bremer on Word Up [https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/wordup] and Awaye! [https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/awaye] To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Highlights

This podcast explores the deep emotional and cultural journey of reconnecting with lost Indigenous languages. Host Rudi Bremer, a Gamilaraay woman, shares her personal path to learning her mother tongue, revealing how language is far more than words—it is a vessel for identity, kinship, and healing from colonial trauma.
00:00
The word 'gunagala' reveals dual meanings in the sky
03:12
Language is tied to identity and belonging
07:09
Language reclamation is a birthright.
18:20
Language revitalization must create living speakers, not just resources.
21:23
Language is foundational to culture and community.

Chapters

Discovering the Beauty and Threat of a Mother Tongue
00:00
The Pain of Losing Cultural Concepts and Identity
03:12
Healing from Colonial Violence Through Language Reclamation
07:09
Using Technology and Elders to Revive a Grandmother's Language
14:56
Kinship, Responsibility, and the Path to Belonging
21:23

Transcript

Jade McHughes: ABC Listen. Podcasts, radio, news, music and more. Sana Qadar: From an Ipswich fish and chip shop to the epicentre of Australian politics. Rudi Bremer: Please explain. Pauline Hanson is making One Nation. This is the unlikely story of One ...