Blog #2

5/8/26

Community, long-term camaraderie and continued resistance!

This week was an incredible highlight for Bulagan, whilst I, Mililma ventured down south with mum to reconnect to old comrades and meet new ones, Birrugan stayed and kept the classes rolling and took the kids, Gawa Gary and Barran Deidre to see Thelma Plum.

Down in Melbourne, I met with our partners at Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) to speak about the importance of data collection in documenting the impacts of language acquisition in drug and alcohol prevention. We are appreciative of ADF’s support for our work, especially in helping us get language into the hands of the some of the most vulnerable people in our community; people who are dealing with addiction. Thank you to the mob at ADF!

Whilst in Melbourne, my mum and I also caught up with our Italian comrades from FILEF and 3CR Radical Radio. We joined the radio program and discussed the history of FILEF’s solidarity with the Blackfulla movement, the Italian Theatre Company and the importance of bilingualism and multi-lingualism as the antidote to the rise of fear-based politics. Grazie to FILEF and 3CR for your ongoing support of Bulagan!

L-R: Pierre, Mililma, Carla, Sarah Kell and Vito

We also managed to pop in and catch up with Senator Lidia Thorpe who has been a long term supporter of our language work in the Nambucca Valley but also of language revival more broadly across the continent. We hope to have our Senator stop in and visit our classes at Ngurrala!

L-R: Mililma May and Senator Lidia Thorpe

Back on Gumbaynggirrr we have had great turn outs on our Monday and Wednesday classes. To wrap up our Wednesday class, Birrugan, Gawa Gary and Barran Deidre took a few of the kids to see Thelma Plum perform in Bellingen. Thank you to Thelma and her team for giving us tickets and for showing your support to Birrugan and Bulagan! It’s very special for us to have relationships with Gooris from over the years, and to keep these connections strong into the future!

L-R: E.M, C.J, Birrugan Dunn-Velasco, Thelma Plum and C.J.