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Indigenous Peoples in Australia have shaped the nation’s cultural identity, languages, and communities since time immemorial. Today, they continue to fight for land rights, self-determination, and the preservation of their rich traditions. The threat to Indigenous languages has become critical due to the deep-rooted impacts of colonization, which actively suppressed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and languages.
In response to this ongoing erosion, Indigenous leaders and organizations across the country, from the Northern Territory to Tasmania, are working to save Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. This movement has been gaining momentum, especially after the United Nations (UN) raised concern about the rapid disappearance of Indigenous languages in Australia.
However, this is not only about preserving a language. It is about protecting cultural rights, identity, and the right to self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. All these rights are included in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which defines the individual and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples to promote and protect them. While Australia endorsed the Declaration back in 2009, there is ongoing criticism from Indigenous leaders and advocates that Australia has not fully implemented the principles of UNDRIP in practice, particularly around self-determination, land rights, and language protection.
Language Preservation as a People’s Right to Self-Determination
Language is more than a tool for communication. It moulds how communities perceive the world, connect with the environment, and pass on traditions, knowledge, and identity to future generations. As a result, language relates to social, economic, and political independence. It sits at the heart of the right to self-determination. Article 3 of the UNDRIP affirms that Indigenous Peoples have the right to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development.
The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, a non-governmental organization empowering the rights of unrepresented Peoples worldwide, recently published the report Beyond Words: Language as a People’s Right. Here, they underline how the loss of linguistic diversity directly endangers cultural survival, identity, and self-determination. When a language disappears, it takes with it not just words, but also stories, history, and a way of life.
Defending language rights is a necessary step towards resisting cultural repression and ensuring that Indigenous Peoples can shape their future and thrive.
The Loss of Indigenous Languages Across Australia
According to the scientific journal Nature, nearly half of the world’s 6,511 languages are now endangered. Without urgent action, more than 1,500 of them could disappear by the end of the century.
In Australia, this phenomenon is particularly evident. Before British colonization, over 250 languages and 800 dialects were spoken. Today, only 12 are still being taught to children, according to a 2019 survey by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
In 2022, the UN launched the International Decade of Languages global action plan, warning that Indigenous languages worldwide were disappearing at an alarming rate. That same year, a study by the Australian National University found Australia had one of the worst records of language loss globally.
How did Australia get to this point? Colonization, forced assimilation, and government policies are among the leading causes. Many of these policies, including those that banned the use of Indigenous languages and enforced English-only education, led to the disruption of intergenerational language transmission. The result has been devastating for languages, cultures, health, and well-being.
One key example of discriminatory policy is the 1937 assimilation policy, which aimed to absorb Indigenous Peoples into the settler population, erasing Aboriginal culture, languages, and community structures. The policy remained in place until the 1967 referendum, following decades of Indigenous-led protests. But its effects, including the loss of language, are still felt today.
Understanding Torres Strait Islander Language Loss: A Closer Look
The crisis facing Indigenous languages becomes especially clear in the Torres Strait Islands. The region is home to two traditional languages and six dialects. The Meriam Mir language, with Mer and Erub dialects, is spoken throughout the islands of Mer (Murray Island), Erub (Darnley Island), and Ugar (Stephen Island). In contrast, UNESCO and the Australian government have classified the Kala Lagaw Ya language and its four dialects (Kulkalgau Ya, Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Kawrareg, and Mabuyag) as severely or critically endangered.
European colonization and the arrival of the London Missionary Society in the Torres Strait in 1871 saw the beginning of assimilation between Island and Western cultures. During this time, the Torres Strait communities were discouraged from speaking traditional languages and pressured to adopt English. A new language, Torres Strait Creole, emerged as a common tongue.
Policies in the 1900s further eroded language. Many Torres Strait Islanders were removed from their homes. English became the primary language in schools. People also had to move away from the islands to find work, weakening intergenerational language transmission.
In 2008, the Torres Strait Islander Regional Education Council initiated community consultation. These efforts revealed a strong need for traditional language education. In response, Tagai State College launched a two-stage immersion Language and Culture program that aims to revitalise and maintain traditional languages.
Language Revitalization in Action: A Few Inspiring Examples
Indigenous leaders and organisations are gathering across the country to develop strategies to save Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. Dozens of Australian Indigenous communities are fighting back against the erosion of Indigenous languages, working with archives and the knowledge of Elders to restore their languages.
In Northern territories, over 50 Indigenous leaders recently met at the Top End Languages Forum. They created a set of recommendations to protect their native languages. One of the organizers, Rarrtjiwuy Herdman, is working to keep her language, Dhaŋu, alive, a Yolŋu language from north-east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre dedicates itself to preserving Indigenous languages since the 1990s. The centre has been reviving the palawa kani language, using records left by early settlers and colonizers. Linguists collaborate with Aboriginal Tasmanians to recover the original sounds and meanings of words. In 2019, thanks to this research, two palawa kani dictionaries were published.
In New South Wales, the Gumbaynggirr community opened the Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School in 2022, the first bilingual Aboriginal school in the state. The school offers education in both English and Gumbaynggirr languages from kindergarten through second grade. Plans are in place to expand to secondary school by 2030.
Community-led initiatives are preserving culture and restoring identity. These stories show that language revival is not only possible but is already underway and succeeding.
The Responsibility of the Australian Government and the Path Forward
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia have been subject to colonization, discrimination, marginalization, and serious violations of their human rights across multiple areas, including failures to protect their cultural heritage and language rights. While some recent programs across the country have offered limited support, much more is needed.
The Australian Government must take real steps to protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ heritage, culture, and languages. Real action means fully recognizing and enforcing the standards outlined in the UNDRIP formally and comprehensively, especially those concerning self-determination, land rights, and language protection. In practical terms, this means providing funding for Indigenous-led programs, recognizing these languages in law, and ensuring they are taught and used in schools and public life.
Revitalizing Indigenous languages is not just a cultural matter. It is a matter of justice, dignity, and human rights. Supporting these efforts means acknowledging past harm and investing in a future where Indigenous Peoples can thrive, speak their languages, and shape their futures.
Edited by Gabrielle Andrychuk
