Reconciliation and Language: What can Northeast Asia Learn from Australia

Australia has made notable progress in its journey towards reconciliation, addressing its history of marginalization and exclusion of Indigenous Australians. The colonial government's assimilation policy had and continues to have severe consequences, resulting in the disappearance of nearly half of the 250 indigenous languages and pushing many more to the brink of extinction. Today, Indigenous Australians continue to face challenges related to language loss, cultural identity, self-esteem, and social and political inequality. The revitalization and maintenance of Indigenous languages have emerged as a crucial element of reconciliation efforts in recent years. In this chapter argues that Australia's experience with assimilation and its ongoing efforts to revive endangered indigenous languages as part of the reconciliation process provide valuable insights -- both positive and negative -- for Northeast Asia where assimilation policies continued to be practiced.