Ndaba Mandela’s: Timely message to Djukun Nation

Image Credit: Jaala Ozies (2024), Ndaba Mandela.

On 7th May 2024, I had the pleasure of meeting Ndaba Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela. He spoke at the University of Queensland and gave a talk about community, collective resilience, self-determination, solidarity and the power of the people to bring about change.

Afterwards, I had a chat to him about our Djugun language revitalisation work, and he shared some inspiring words for the Djugun Nation.

He was eager to learn about Djugun Nation and I taught him how to pronounce the Djugun language words for let’s go, “gala yangarda”. He stated “gala yangarda Djugun Nation”.

Ndaba’s message was about the importance of collective action, unity, and mutual support among marginalised cultural groups. His words encouraged First Nations people everywhere to stand in solidarity in their pursuit of cultural preservation and revitalisation.

Mandela’s words echoed the legacy of his Grandfather, Nelson Mandela, whose unwavering commitment to social justice and reconciliation inspired many generations around the world. Drawing from this legacy, Ndaba Mandela emphasised the transformative power of grassroots movements and community-led initiatives.

His words resonated with me because change begins with individuals coming together to advocate for their shared values and aspirations. I reflected on how the Djugun people need to unite and support each other in our language revitalisation and the reclamation of our culture and our identity.

“Gala yangarda (let’s go, Djukun language) Djukun Nation”.

Video Credit: Jaala Ozies

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