Unearth By Ali Eckerrmann Poem Analysis

Language is a powerful tool that affirms and challenges culture and identity. It is through language that we express our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, and it is through language that we connect with others and create a sense of community. In Ali Cobby Eckermann's poetry, language is central to the exploration of culture and identity, particularly for Indigenous Australians. Through her poetry, Eckermann challenges dominant narratives and affirms the importance of language in preserving culture and identity. In this essay, I will focus on two of Eckermann's poems, "Unearth" and "Oombulgarri," to demonstrate how language affirms and challenges culture and identity. In "Unearth," Eckermann reflects on the legacy of colonisation and its impact

Language is not just a means of communication; it is the vehicle through which cultural knowledge and practices are transmitted from one generation to the next. Without language, Indigenous Australians have lost a vital part of their identity and heritage. Eckermann also challenges the dominant narrative of Australian history, which positions Indigenous Australians as inferior and primitive. She writes, "We did not wake up one morning / primitive and naked, / ignorant of the world around us" (lines 7-9). These lines challenge the idea that Indigenous Australians were "discovered" by Europeans and that their culture and language were inferior to that of the colonisers. Eckermann affirms the complexity and richness of Indigenous culture and challenges the idea that it can be reduced to a set of primitive practices. In "Oombulgarri," Eckermann explores the connection between language, culture, and identity in the context of a specific Indigenous community. The poem is named after the Oombulgarri people, who lived in the Kimberley region of Western Australia until their forced removal in the