wiray ngiyang, wiray mayiny – No language, no people.
Ahead of NAIDOC Week 2024, NITV Radio has released a new podcast, Ngiyang, which tells the story of how the Wiradyuri language is being reclaimed by the people of central NSW and celebrates Indigenous perspectives.
Continuing NITV Radio’s proud tradition of championing First Nations stories, knowledges, cultures and voices, Ngiyang gives multicultural and multilingual audiences a glimpse into the journey of reclaiming and reviving the Wiradyuri language as well as the triumphs of teaching and learning Wiradyuri.
As part of SBS’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), NITV Radio will expand content in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and promote language growth through its podcast content.
Hosted by Lowanna Grant, NITV Radio Executive Producer, the new podcast features Wiradyuri language pioneer, Uncle Stan Grant Senior, along with language teachers and learners, speaking their language and how this has enriched their lives as Wiradyuri people.
An insightful and personal look into the importance of First Nations languages, Uncle Stan Grant Senior tells how his grandfather Wilfred Johnson taught him Wiradyuri language as a child and instructed him to keep the language alive.
Host Lowanna Grant is the granddaughter of Uncle Stan Grant Senior and also studied Wiradyuri language herself: “I’m thrilled to share the stories in Ngiyang with all Australians because it records a part of our history – the reclamation and revival of Wiradjuri language.
“Ngiyang celebrates what our Elders have achieved and what is being done to secure language and culture for the next generation of Wiradyuri people.
“These are stories close to my heart, and it’s been a privilege to record my pop telling his story in his own words as well as speak to other Wiradyuri people about their language journey, and hopefully help more Australians connect meaningfully with the longest continuous culture on the planet.”
The experiences of guests are told in first-person and share how Wiradyuri language is being revitalised and how Wiradyuri people are being empowered through reclaiming their language.
Each guest on the podcast shares how they learned the language, including members of Uncle Stan Grant Senior’s family who were instrumental to the restoration of the Wiradyuri language and the development of the first Wiradyuri language dictionary.
Teachers, students and artists share their favourite word or phrase in Wiradyuri as well as how they are passing on the knowledge they have obtained, what it means to speak in language and how it has enriched their lives as Wiradyuri people.
Ngiyang is available on the SBS Audio App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, LiSTNR and wherever you stream podcasts.