As an Indigenous Australian I take honour in writing the foreword for this book. My honour is shared in two ways. Firstly, to the further advancement such writing makes to the liberation struggle of my people. Secondly the theoretical contributions it makes to the disciplines of Indigenous Education and Linguistics.

I find comfort in its pages as a Narungga, Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri man who has worked in the Kaurna language revival movement for several years. For here is a story of a journey that needed telling. A story of Indigenous and non- Indigenous peoples working diligently to revive and maintain Indigenous Language. From the contents of these pages we see determined people who want to make Kaurna language a functional part of their daily lives.

However, the languages of colonised peoples cannot be meaningfully discussed outside the context of imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. Therefore, the story of the Kaurna Language Revival movement is a counterstory to early western ideas and beliefs regarding Indigenous cultures.

Colonial interruption in language transmission from older to younger generations has done violence to the survival of Indigenous languages, identities and cultures. Such genocidal interruption meant that very little knowledge of the language remained within the Kaurna community.

The scars of systematic suppression of Indigenous languages and cultures map the Indigenous terrain of languages revival and maintenance. Moreover, it is to the process of colonial imposition and elevation of English whilst subjugating our languages that we as colonised peoples remain defiant.

Documented in the pages of this book are real lives in real struggle. Language is not simply about words or the lexicon. It is about people. Warrabarna Kaurna! reflects the challenges, the celebration and the struggles facing Kaurna peoples today in reclaiming and maintaining our language.

The book seeks to inform the reader of the strategic transformation process of Kaurna language from the historical record to the hearts, minds and vocal chords of my peoples. What makes this study unique is that Kaurna is at the far end of the continuum of language revival activities. Seemingly insurmountable odds had to be overcome.

1. • Colonial forced silence of language leaves no fluent speakers

2. • Fluent Kaurna not used as an everyday language for well over a century

3. • No sound recording of language as it was spoken last century

4. • Kaurna population a small minority spread across several communities