Wadawurrung Language is precious Cultural knowledge belonging to Wadawurrung People. Its use across Country is bound by strict Cultural Protocols that Wadawurrung People must adhere to. Some Language words are sacred and cannot be known or spoken by non-Wadawurrung People. Language belongs to Country and some words only belong to certain places on Wadawurrung Country. Place names, for example, belong to the Places themselves and cannot be reappropriated for other purposes – like business names or smaller locations within that Place.
Due to the impacts of colonisation, Wadawurrung Language is in a state of revival, therefore when it comes to community and stakeholder Language requests, the work to respond is often complex and takes time. Wadawurrung Language is the Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) of Wadawurrung People and Country and can only be licenced (but never owned) for a set period of time or in perpetuity. All uses of Wadawurrung Language are then put into a centralised database to register its use, purpose and location.
Please fill in as many details as you can. Please note that Wadawurrung Traditional Owners will assess each request and, depending on capacity and appropriateness, self-determine if Language can be shared and used.