Our Languages. Our Right.

What if protecting a language could help transform an entire nation? 

Across Aotearoa New Zealand, te reo Māori has become a powerful symbol of identity, pride and cultural resurgence. But this transformation didn't happen by accident. 

In this episode, we sit down with Professor Rawinia Higgins, Chair of the Māori Language Commission and one of the key architects of the Māori Language Act 2016, to explore the journey behind one of the world's most recognised approaches to Indigenous language revitalisation. 

From the power of the Treaty of Waitangi to putting Māori communities at the centre of decision-making, Rawinia shares the lessons, challenges and unexpected outcomes of protecting language through legislation. 

Could Australia learn from Aotearoa's journey? And what would it take to create that same momentum for our First Nations languages? 

UNDRIP, International Rights and the Global Environment

Our languages are our birthright. So why aren't they protected by law?

Australia has endorsed international principles recognising the rights of Indigenous peoples to maintain, revitalise and pass on their languages. But those commitments have not been fully translated into enforceable national protections.

In this powerful opening conversation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss and leading barrister Joshua Creamer unpack the gap between international promises and the reality facing First Nations language communities.

From the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to the lasting impacts of language suppression, we explore why recognition alone isn't enough, what accountability should look like and what's at stake for future generations.

If language is a fundamental human right, isn't it time Australia treated it that way?

Guest profile: Katie Kiss is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. Joshua Creamer is a barrister.