‘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

You can hear more from presenter Rudi Bremer on Word Up and 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.