From an episode of IndigenuityPresented by Maddi Miller

Interview

Indigenuity: Phoebe McIlwraith on SPEAKINGTRUTH and Translating

Maddi is joined by Phoebe McIlwraith, a Bundjalung and Worimi Saltwater dubay/galbaan (woman) to discuss her new project, SPEAKINGTRUTH, with First Nations storytelling organisation, Common Ground. SPEAKINGTRUTH is grounded in the recognition of the importance of "in-language storytelling" to meet the needs of multilingual Australia, and how these language resources can support multicultural communities to build stronger, more accurate understandings of First Nations peoples and cultures.

"A language is a whole entire in and of itself […] all the langauge we've developed around race relations is in English […] translation is never perfect and has to adapt to new discourse in the diaspora."

More information on SPEAKINGTRUTH and some of their translated resources can be found here.

Phoebe McIlwraith
Listen to Indigenuity: Phoebe McIlwraith on SPEAKINGTRUTH and Translating20:5427 July 2025