National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day: ‘Little Voices, Loud Futures’
Christian Lugnan, 2022 Fellow
Reflecting on this year’s theme for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day, ‘Little Voices, Loud Futures’, I look back on my own experiences as a Goori child growing up in the 1980s.
I recall my father consistently guiding me with what to expect with being Goori. One thing he would say is “you have to be twice as better than the white man to get the same recognition”. I understand why dad gave me this advice due to his own upbringing and experiences, however, I also recognise how negative this view was. Goori people were not permitted nor safe to celebrate our Aboriginality. Moreover, mainstream society did not value our culture and identity. Due to systemic and societal racism we were valued as lesser. ‘Blackness’ not well regarded. Sometimes blackness was regarded as a curiosity, an intriguing cosmetic feature, but our character, culture and history were never discussed in a positive way. Getting by and surviving was the goal.
Christian Lugnan with junuybin (children) at Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School (GGFS). Photo: Amber Hamer
Fast forward three decades and things have really changed. Today we, as the First Peoples of this land, who descend from the world’s oldest continuous living culture, are being recognised and acknowledged for both our cultural knowledge and histories. I am the CFO of an organisation that places language and culture at the centre of everything that we do. Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation (BMNAC) delivers language and culture programs in schools and community, operates award-winning cultural tourism, runs two cafes and a catering business employing local Goori young people, and established the first bilingual school of an Aboriginal language in NSW – Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School (GGFS). Bularri muurlay nyanggan means ‘two path strong’ in Gumbaynggirr. That is, we aspire our junuybin (children) to be strong in both education and Goori culture so that they have choices and can thrive in their future.
Sharing the work of BMNAC and GGFS highlights some of the many different approaches to culture and language revitalisation. Other mobs are doing equally incredible work as well, particularly our Māori brothers and sisters in Aotearoa, which I experienced more of during my foundation year in 2022 as a participant in the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program.
The foundation year, which involves undertaking a Master of Social Change Leadership at the University of Melbourne, gives participants the opportunity to develop a social change project. I chose to develop a health and well-being program in Gumbaynggirr language for junuybin at GGFS. The program is called Giingan Nyanggan Buurrgi/Peaceful Strong Body, and aspires to connect ngaawa (language), mayala buurrgi (move the body), and mayungili ngarraangiya (mindfulness) to encourage the junuybin to appreciate the power of language as essential to holistic health and well-being.
As First Nations people who have experience language and cultural genocide, being able to express ourselves in our heritage language is paramount to our survival as Indigenous peoples. We have the inherent right to practice our language and culture. This is enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Article 13).
The vision of GGFS is to be Gumbaynggirr Daari – strong in language, culture, purpose, identity, motivation, and education. Renowned Māori scholar and AFSE Pou, Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, says Indigenous knowledge, contained in the language, histories, and ways of knowing of Indigenous peoples, is a complete and valid system of representing and understanding our experiences and our world. At GGFS, we are ensuring that our junuybin will indeed have loud futures and loud voices. The values of Wajaarr (Country), Guunu-warluuny (Culture) and Miindalay-gam (Wisdom), will forever guide and govern the lives of our littlest voices.
This year marks another key event in First Nations’ history, with the national referendum on a First Nations Voice being enshrined in the constitution. Regardless of the outcome of the referendum, First Nations voices will continue to be expressed, loudly and proudly, with our community being a testament to that.
Today, with my wife, and our own junuybin, we share stories and pride in being Goori – stories of our resilience, caring for Wajaarr (Country), caring for maayal-guunu (animals), sharing bayi (love), being miindalgam (smart), being jangal-jangal (happy) and being wagin nyanggan (proper solid).
As Goori people we acknowledge our wala-barrmarrany (ancestors) who have passed down their cultural knowledge, and importantly, on this National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day, we acknowledge the contributions of our junuybin (children). Today, I challenge us all, whether First Nations or an ally, to reflect what you are doing to improve the lives of First Nations children? And what actions we can take to be remembered as good ancestors for generations to come?