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Guardians of Language and Country

Guardians of Language and Country

By: SBS
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About this listen

 Guardians of Language and Country is a series exploring how emerging technologies, grounded in a deep connection to Country, are helping to preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. Join host Donnie Johannessen and producer Alden Lyall on a journey through Far North Queensland as they speak with Mamu, Gunggandj, Kuku Yalanji, and Western Kuku Yalanji elders and rangers, sharing stories of language, land, and community. Celebrate these custodians of culture, discover histories new and old, and learn a few new words along the way.Copyright 2025, Special Broadcasting Services Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Mamu Ngiirma: Language, culture and technology

    Mamu Ngiirma: Language, culture and technology
    May 28 2025
    In the first episode of Guardians of Language and Country, we're travelling to Far North Queensland into the coastal tropical rainforests of Mamu Ngiirma country in Innisfail. Hosts Donnie Johannessen and Alden Lyall take us to the heart of the community to learn all about how locals are preserving language and how to embed language into everyday life. We'll hear from local Mamu elders Stephen Purcell, Alf Joyce, and ranger Francis Joyce and also hear about the creation of a cultural heritage project, Dungaloi.
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    20 mins
  • Kuku Yalanji: Promoting fluency on Country with breath to breath teaching and digital preservation

    Kuku Yalanji: Promoting fluency on Country with breath to breath teaching and digital preservation
    Jun 4 2025
    In this episode of Guardians of Language and Country, we journey through the dense rainforests of the Daintree to Mossman, on Kuku Yalanji Country. Join host Donnie Johannessen and producer Alden Lyall—a proud Kuku Yalanji man—as they talk with community members about the power of speaking language on Country. From handheld recorders to language apps, we also hear how technology is being used to capture, preserve, and breathe new life into ancient words—building communities of speakers and safeguarding language for generations to come. We also explore how schools are weaving traditional language into learning, and how rangers keep fluency alive through daily practice and cultural connection.
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    21 mins
  • Gunggandji: Growing language with the next generation

    Gunggandji: Growing language with the next generation
    Jun 12 2025
    In this episode of Guardians of Language and Country host Donnie Johannesen and producer Alden Lyall bring us stories from the Gunggandji on Yarrabah Country, where language is alive in classrooms, on beaches, and through the voices of the next generation. We'll hear from Lynese Hari about how the Gunggandji Aboriginal Corporation is preserving language through school programs, Junior Ranger activities, and how emerging technologies like AI and social media are being used for language learning. Educator Candice Sexton also explains how students are learning to introduce themselves, sing songs, and tell traditional stories—like how the turtle got its nose—in Gunggandji language. Young rangers demonstrate how deeply language is connected to country as they share place names, animal words, and the cultural stories that connect the past and the future.
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    17 mins
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