Episode 21: Placing Anangu Knowledge and Language at the Centre

Evelyn Carter

Alright, welcome back to Leading for Impact in Anangu Lands Schools. I’m Evelyn Carter, joined as always by Liam Warragul and Dan Harrison. Today’s episode is all about placing Anangu knowledge and language right at the centre of school life. Now, the P.Y.E.C. Improvement Strategy, Liam, this is one you’ve championed—puts culture, bilingual education, and community partnerships front and centre. Why do you reckon that’s so important for our schools?

Liam Warragul

Yeah, thanks Evelyn. I mean, the thing is, if we’re serious about equity and engagement, Anangu knowledge and language can’t be something on the side. I keep thinking back to when we first started changing the school signage—you remember that one, Dan? Suddenly, you’d walk in and see not just English words, but Anangu languages up on the walls. And the look on the kids’ faces! Their eyes would light up. It wasn’t just a sign—it meant, “This place is for you. You belong here.”

Dan Harrison

Yeah, absolutely, Liam. And it’s kind of wild how something that small, like a sign or a classroom label, actually changes the vibe, you know? We had families coming in and pointing things out to their kids, like, “That’s our language!” It sort of set the tone for everyone that Anangu language mattered, not just as a subject but everywhere in the school. Suddenly you’d see students more willing to speak up, or get involved in assemblies, and honestly—it helped break down that invisible barrier some kids felt.

Liam Warragul

Exactly. And it’s not just anecdotal. When you start tracking engagement, attendance, even just how kids walk into the classroom—there’s a shift. I always say, visible language is a visible sign of respect. It’s about identity. Those indicators might not always be in the data sets we report on, but they show up in the everyday—students start taking pride in showing visitors around, introducing themselves in Pitjantjatjara, even correcting us when we get it wrong! I love that.

Evelyn Carter

And you know, I think we touched on this a bit back in our episode on equity, but you can really see it: When Anangu culture and language are valued and visible, students aren’t just participating, they’re invested. Their sense of self is stronger, and engagement is more than just showing up for roll call. It’s that feeling that “I’m seen, I matter here.” And as leaders, that’s what we all want to nurture.

Dan Harrison

Yeah, and—oh, quick tangent—sometimes there’s this expectation that making language visible is some huge, bureaucratic process. But often, it’s the everyday moments, like incorporating language into instructions, or celebrating student achievements in both languages, that really builds that cultural identity. It’s just got to be intentional, not tokenistic.

Evelyn Carter

So, Dan, you’ve been in the thick of it—you know, actually working side by side with Anangu educators to create curriculum that genuinely reflects local knowledge and priorities. Can you share a bit about how you do that? What’s worked… and maybe, what hasn’t?

Dan Harrison

Yeah, sure. Honestly, it’s ongoing learning, every term. One of the most impactful things we’ve done is—look, I’ll give you an example: instead of starting a science unit with, “Today we’re learning about plants,” we’d begin with a story from a local elder about bush tucker. Take kampurarpa, bush tomatoes. We’d go out on-Country where possible, hear from elders, learn how and when to collect them, and talk about the ecology, the weather patterns, cultural significance—all in Pitjantjatjara and English. Then we’d build our science outcomes around that. Kids are more engaged because it’s their world, their family’s knowledge. It’s real, not abstract.

Liam Warragul

That’s the heart of it, isn’t it? And I mean, co-design isn’t always easy in practice—not just inviting people to a meeting, but genuinely sharing the direction-setting. What do you reckon gets in the way of true co-design?

Dan Harrison

Sometimes it’s just time—like, everyone’s flat out. But also, there’s this historical thing where community voices haven’t always been listened to. So we have to earn trust, over and over. It’s not enough to show up once with an idea; it’s asking, “What do you want your kids to learn?” And sometimes the priorities are different to what’s on the department checklist. The most practical barrier though is language—if meetings are all in English, or the curriculum docs are, you’re shutting people out straight up. That’s something we’ve tried to flip by using interpreters, yarning, and giving drafts back to Anangu team for review.

Evelyn Carter

And that links back to what we were saying in previous episodes—building those respectful partnerships takes sustained effort, doesn’t it? Leadership can’t just rubber stamp the idea of co-design and walk away. How do you think leaders can really ensure community voices stay front and centre?

Dan Harrison

To be honest, it’s got to be built into the system, not just a project. Things like making sure there’s time on the agenda for elders and community educators to share, or reflecting their feedback in school planning, not just the minutes. And following up—like, coming back to people and saying, “You said this, here’s what we’ve changed.” That closing the loop is critical, otherwise people stop believing their input counts.

Liam Warragul

Yeah, and not being afraid to admit when you get it wrong or something doesn’t go to plan. That’s part of that reflective leadership we talked about a while back. Keeping those lines open, even when it’s a bit messy, that’s where the growth is.

Evelyn Carter

So let’s talk bilingual education. I’ve been reading a bit about how effective bilingual models don’t just boost literacy; they deepen cultural understanding and pride. In one of our schools, we saw a language initiative where students started every day with Pitjantjatjara, then shifted gradually to English for literacy blocks. Not only did reading and writing in both languages lift—attendance went up, too. Kids were bringing family stories back into the classroom, sharing them across age levels. It just transformed the mood.

Dan Harrison

Yeah, I’ve seen that as well. When students build strong foundations in their first language, their English comes along too—but more than that, they have this confidence and sense of identity. And the families notice the difference. There’s more sharing, more pride. It’s not easy getting all the resourcing right—bilingual classroom generated resources take time to develop, and staff need ongoing support—but when you see those outcomes, it’s worth it.

Liam Warragul

And for leadership teams, it’s about more than just counting test scores. We can look at things like student voice—are kids confident to speak up in assemblies, to tell stories in both languages? Are families engaged in school activities? Do kids see themselves in classroom displays and the books on the shelf? Those are key indicators. And we need real, ongoing data—not just a one-off survey—to track what’s changing over time.

Evelyn Carter

I think another part is supporting Anangu leadership in all of this. Like, how do we structure things so Anangu educators and leaders are driving planning, not just participating? Sometimes that means adjusting timelines, budgets, or finding the right support, rather than expecting everything to fit a standard model. Any practical tips for teams wanting to do this well?

Dan Harrison

Yeah—give Anangu leaders actual roles in decisions. Make sure there’s room for mentoring, too. And celebrate the progress! Whether it’s a big project or just a new classroom sign, acknowledge those milestones together. Keeps motivation up—for everyone.

Liam Warragul

And be willing to learn as you go. Like we’ve said before, none of us have all the answers, but if we keep coming back to those principles—listening, partnership, openness—we’re moving the right way.

Evelyn Carter

Well, that feels like a nice note to wrap on for today. If you’re tuning in and thinking about next steps, maybe start by asking: where is Anangu language visible in your school? How are you including community voices, and what’s one thing you could do tomorrow to centre Anangu knowledge a little more? Thanks, Dan and Liam, I always learn something new from these yarns.

Dan Harrison

Same here, Evelyn, and cheers Liam—good to have this conversation together, as always.

Liam Warragul

Yeah, thanks team. Looking forward to our next episode—see you all soon, and keep the stories coming.

Evelyn Carter

Thanks for listening everyone. Take care, and we’ll see you next time on Leading for Impact in Anangu Lands Schools.