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

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