Let Our Voices Fly: Why I Celebrate Wiradjuri Language Every Day
CULTURAL WARNING: This post contains a photograph of a deceased person. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this may be Culturally sensitive.I've been thinking a lot about voices lately- not just the sound of them, but the power they carry. The stories they hold. The healing they bring.
NSW Aboriginal Languages Week from 19 to 26 October 2025, celebrates with this year's theme Let Our Voices Fly, and it couldn't resonate more deeply with me. It's built on three pillars: Connect, Speak, and Fly- each representing a vital part of the Language revitalisation journey.
And that journey? It's personal. It's powerful. It's why I weave Wiradjuri language into everything I do at Chocolate On Purpose®.
The gorgeous artwork in the NSW Aboriginal Languages Week banner has been created by the talented, and awarded, Wonnarua artist, Saretta Fielding.
Why Wiradjuri Language Matters to Me
When I completed my Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture & Heritage at Charles Sturt University, I didn't just learn words. I reconnected with something that had been stolen from my Ancestors. Something that colonisation tried to silence.
Every time I say Yiradhu marang (hello), Mandaang guwu (thank you), or share the meaning behind Yindyamangidyal Marramarra (With Respect and Honour, We Create) - my business motto - I'm reclaiming what's ours. I'm honouring my paternal line from the Galari (Lachlan) and Waambul (Macquarie) Rivers. I'm keeping my Culture alive.
Language isn't just communication. It's connection to Country, Community, and Culture. It's knowledge passed down through generations. It's the sound of resilience.
Standing on the Shoulders of Language Keepers: Winhanganha
Winhanganha (To Know, Think, Remember)- an act of resistance and reclamation.
My journey with Wiradjuri language didn't begin in isolation. It stands on the shoulders of giants- Uncle Stan Grant Senior, whose lifelong commitment to revitalising Wiradjuri language has been transformative for our People. His groundbreaking work with the late Dr John Rudder (deceased) in writing A New Wiradjuri Dictionary and A Grammar of Wiradjuri Language gave us the means to preserve Wiradjuri language, safeguarding Cultural heritage, empowering us with resource to think, to remember.
My first encounter with spoken language came through Aunty Iris Reid at TAFE NSW, and then my immersion deepened through studying with Letitia Harris, Yarri (Harry) Lambshead and Mamaba (Uncle Pat) Connolly in the Charles Sturt University Graduate Certificate Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage.
When Letitica speaks Wiradjuri the Ancestors crowd the room, her voice grounds you in Country- it's no surprise Uncle Stan Grant Senior has instructed Letitia to carry forward this sacred work of revitalisation. This work aligns with the Aboriginal Languages Trust's mission to support language revitalisation across NSW.
These knowledge keepers didn't just teach me words; they taught me to know and feel winhanganha- to know, think, remember- in my soul!
Our language and Culture went "inside" for protection because of government assimilation policies, but it's a memory stamped in our DNA. Research into epigenetics shows us that our bodies remember what our minds were forced to forget. This is why the work of Uncle Stan Grant Senior and his dedicated team is so crucial. As he says:
"Wiray Ngiyang, Wiray Mayiny" - No Language, No People.
Language is Mother. Mother is Country.
Language is Mother. Mother is Country.
Buyaa (Lore) comes from Country. Country is everything. When we speak Wiradjuri language, we're not just communicating with each other- we speak language so Mother will recognise us.
Language informs the way we see and understand the world; it shapes our beliefs and values. Therefore, language is Culture.
Language and Culture are intertwined and cannot be separated, because words carry meaning, and that meaning must be shared in order for us to understand one another—usually within a collective, a Community, a Culture.
Wiradjuri language is relational, observational, and locative. We begin with focus on relationships, then connect ideas. This is how we see the world; this is how we build connection.
Giilangyaldhaany: Speaker of Stories Through Chocolate
I share Wiradjuri language with Yindyamarra (respect and honour) and Ngurrbul (love) through storytelling with chocolate- as a small and humble contribution to Wiradjuri language and Cultural revitalisation.
I do this in respect to the Wiradjuri Principle of Winhangadilgigu (to know oneself with purpose always, and to know the contribution you can make to rebuilding a Wiradjuri Nation), with the responsibility to Bangamalanha (share amongst each other), in the spirit of ngunggilanha (reciprocity, to give to each other).
This is why I see my winhangadilinya (role) is to a yaldhaany (speaker) of giilang (story)—therefore, I am a Giilangyaldhaany (speaker of stories) through chocolate. This work of language revitalisation is vital for our future children, the seven generations looking up at us, waiting their turn to emerge.
We must continue this work of language revitalisation for naganhayung (our) giyira (future) galinabang bur galang (children).
Language Revitalisation Through Chocolate: A Business Model for Change
At Chocolate On Purpose®, we don't just make chocolate. We create experiences honouring Indigenous spirit, identity and Culture. And Wiradjuri language is at the heart of that.
Our product names tell stories—each one a teaching moment:
- 🦅 Ooray (Davidson Plum)
- 🍇 Daguba (Riberry)
- 🍋 Gulalung (Finger Lime)
- 🌰 Boombera (Macadamia)
- 🌺 Wyrrung (Rosella)
When someone reads Ooray on a chocolate bar, they're not just seeing a flavour—they're seeing our Language on the shelf, in the marketplace, in the world. They're learning that Aboriginal languages are living, thriving, and delicious.
This is language revitalisation through commerce—a model that celebrates Wiradjuri language in everyday Australian life whilst supporting ethical, Indigenous-owned business.
Language as Healing and Empowerment
For me, using Wiradjuri language is also deeply healing. It's part of my journey through intergenerational trauma, PTSD, and the challenges I've faced as an older Aboriginal woman in business.
Speaking my Language grounds me. It reverberates in my heart with the vibration of my Ancestors. It reminds me of who I am and where I come from. It connects me to matriarchal knowledge keepers who came before me—the women I'm now working to empower through the Ngunggilanha Cultural Sensory Garden & Chocolate Nexus project.
When I share with others - whether through our Indigenous Chocolate Tasting workshops, social media, or simply in conversation - I'm not just sharing words. I'm sharing pride, identity, and sovereignty.
Lowanna Grant - Uncle Stan Grant Senior is her babiinbal (grandfather- father's father) - expresses this eloquently in her NITV Podcast: Ngiyang. Ngiyang means a letter, a word, a sound, a word in its simplest form, a note of music in Wiradjuri language.
NSW Aboriginal Languages Week 2025: Let Our Voices Fly
This year's Aboriginal Languages Week theme speaks to exactly what I'm trying to do: let our voices fly.
Because when we speak our Languages, we're not just preserving the past - we're creating the future.
How You Can Support Language Revitalisation
💬 Learn a few words in the Language of the traditional land on which you live or work
🛍️ Support Indigenous businesses that proudly use Language in their branding- like Chocolate On Purpose®. Find verified suppliers on the Supply Nation Directory.
📢 Amplify Aboriginal voices and Language Practitioners on social media
🎓 Educate yourself and others about the importance of Language revitalisation
🤝 Attend Community events during Aboriginal Languages Week and beyond
🍫 Purchase ethical, Indigenous chocolate infused with native botanicals and Language- like Chocolate On Purpose.
At Chocolate On Purpose®, we celebrate every day- sharing Language, stories, and of course, delicious chocolate infused with native botanicals.
Mandaang guwu for being part of this journey with me. Together, let's let our voices fly.
Celebrate Wiradjuri Language & Culture Through Chocolate
Ready to experience Language and Culture firsthand?
Yindyamangidyal Marramarra – With Respect and Honour, We Create.
Related Reading
- Global Collaboration: A Story of Connection
- Why Ethical Chocolate Sourcing Matters
- NAIDOC Week: Budyabudya Butterfly Chocolates
- Empowering Aboriginal Women in Business
Sources
- Aboriginal Languages Trust
- A New Wiradjuri Dictionary
- A Grammar of Wiradjuri Language
- TAFE NSW
- Lowitja Institute
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What's Next?
Aboriginal Languages Week runs 19–26 October 2025. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to learn Wiradjuri words, and behind-the-scenes stories from our Ngunggilanha (reciprocity) Project.