They were forbidden from learning their mother tongue as children, but the Deadly Nannas are now teaching the Ngarrindjeri language and culture through song.
Known as "Nragi Muthar" in Ngarrindjeri, the Deadly Nannas singing group was formed in South Australia almost five years ago to create lullabies for the members' grandchildren.
But group leader Georgie Trevorrow said reviving the language has also had a profound impact on her community.
"It empowers me because our language was taken away from us," she said.
"That's a lot of our grief … not knowing our culture and our heritage, and especially our language.
"I just feel stronger every time I sing the language with my sisters and my aunties."
The group is based in Ngarrindjeri country, which includes parts of South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, lower Murray, Coorong and Lower Lakes regions.
Many of the Deadly Nannas said their families would speak Ngarrindjeri at home when they were kids, but they were forbidden from learning the language.
Now, the eight members — who include two non-Indigenous women — have completed a tertiary course in learning an endangered Aboriginal language, enabling them to write their own songs fusing Ngarrindjeri with English.
Singing: the secret to sustainability
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were just 312 speakers of the Ngarrindjeri language in 2016.
In an effort to expand that, the Deadly Nannas have been engaging in a school singing program with students from across SA.
"The neural pathways to learning come from singing, and they come from singing in language," group member Diana Murphy said.
"Resilience and learning — this is what we want to embed in our young Ngarrindjeri children."
Ms Murphy, who has previously worked as a social and emotional wellbeing counsellor, said the connection to language and culture was vital for Indigenous health.
"Health for Aboriginal people is not just the absence of illness," she said.
"It's about connection to language, to country, to culture – and that's very lacking."
She also called for a focus on Indigenous languages in the school curriculum.
Not only has the Ngarrindjeri singing program been a hit with students, but it has also been embraced by parents.
"Having the Nannas perform — it's a good opportunity for the students to embrace their own culture and learn how to sing in our language," one parent, Tahlia, said.
The director of Murray Bridge's Tinyeri Children's Centre, Mim Bjelovarac, said it was vital for students to start learning the language and culture from as young an age as possible.
"To be able to have a revival of the Ngarrindjeri language, and connect it to children's spaces here, is absolutely critical as they formulate their identity."
