Your comment really inspired me to think about how much and deeply some Chinese vocabulary has entered and even formed Vietnamese vocabulary relating to food and restaurants.
My city, Hai Phong, is noticeably famous for “Chè sủi dìn”, which always warmed me up during cold evening wandering around the city for sightseeing with my husband. I often spent hours waiting outside the most popular “sủi dìn” food stall for two little hot sweet cups of the miraculous drink.
I would forever think that my favorite drink is Vietnamese if I did not read your comment. “Sủi dìn” actually sounds a little bit Cantonese. I have just done some Google search, and 湯圓 (tāngyuán) is its original Chinese name.
It is miraculous that the food that symbolizes my best memories about my hometown in Viet Nam is actually from our neighboring country. Chances are the process of language contact (and food contact) that results in “sủi dìn” has taken place for so long and it has become a too familiar a part of the culture for me to even notice the Cantonese traces without reading your comment.

I considered it, but upon trying to find data on Yawuru people, language, and culture, I have come back empty-handed as there is a lack of credible academic papers or research to base my presentation on.

Indeed – so much recognition is nothing but lip service …

Hello, Jaehoon!
Thank you for your opinion on the article about (dis)possession and (un)belonging.
In 2019, I first visited Rapid City, South Dakota, in America. I saw a lot of depictions of how Americans were trying to introduce and embody the Native Americans through their amazing photography inside the airport and also represent them outside of the place with a huge sculpture (Siouxper Boy), which illustrates a Native American who was holding up the airplane on the left and holding below the Native American bustle (regalia) in the right hand. At first, I thought these illustrations and monuments were a wonderful demonstration of indigenous settlers. On the other hand, I met this Indigenous man who worked as a waiter there, and he was the only Indigenous American I have ever met. He told me that their people are not allowed to work and earn money. Moreover, employers and bosses in that area are not really interested in having them as part of their team. However, Slate Creek Grill’s owner never hesitated to have him in the restaurant. At the end, I realized that showing respect and taking them seriously aren’t always what they seem. Even in every country, indigenous people should be highly respected and live like others. Naming places and building statues based on their identities might not show real respect to them. Understanding, accepting, and spreading awareness of history and culture play a simple and important role in knowing and respecting indigenous people in all countries and continents.

Thanks Dr. Piller for sharing this video and giving me further insights about the use of language on our Campus and its history! As we learned in class, the naming of objects and places, like in this case, can have significant effects on these same places and the perception of its people!

Ben and Natalie, Thank you so much for your fascinating comments.
I was just wondering if Indigenous langauges are taught in Australian high school as compulsory subject or not. After reading your comments about your experiences with learning Indigenous languages, it made me think of the future of those languages again. if those langauges are taught as an elective subject for just one semester or few months and students are ended up learning just greetings and few words, the number of young generations who speak Indigenous languages will probably decline significantly and it might increase the risk of extinction.

Thank you Mamduha for your writing, your writing has extended my thinking about the context of indigenous languages in Bangladehs aspect of languages and cultures in contact. I just want to share my ideas on how I have perceived it. I have understood from your writing that there is a complex interplay between language diversity, government initiatives, language loss, and cultural identity in the context of indigenous languages in Bangladesh. I think it is important to keep and maintain languages as it is one of the critical issues of language endangerment. The languages should be maintained instead of losing it due to no one longer speaking it or passing id down to new generations. Thank you for sharing, and I have chosen your writing because there is somewhat I can relate to.

Great comment, Hazel. Your reflection on New Zealand is so interesting as I also encountered the Maori language and culture when visiting. They seem to be embedded into daily life in New Zealand and when you travel around, it’s good to see the language so visible everywhere. Your post prompted me to learn a bit more about the language – I didn’t realise it had official status in New Zealand. I also love the way they are preserving some Maori traditions, such as the traditional dance – the Haka. The Haka can be seen at different ceremonies and before the New Zealand All Blacks football team play a game. It is always so good to see the Maori and non Maori players performing together – this creates a real sense of unity. It’s also a good way to showcase and preserve these traditions on the world stage.

Thank you!

Thank you very much for your reply. I looked up about the “Musashi” a little bit more, so let me share about it. “Musashi” was one of the provinces in ancient Japan, which is located in Tokyo, Saitama, and Kanagawa today. This province was known for its strategic importance due to its proximity to the capital region and its connections to key trade routes. Therefore, this place was important in Japanese history, and the name “Musashi” has become symbolic and has been used in various contexts such as the name of places today.

I hope this answer would be helpful in understanding a little bit more about “Musahi”.

Thanks, Mazhar! Urdu (or linguistic diversity, generally) in Pakistan would make a great presentation topic!

Thanks, Abdulla, for sharing about your travels! Hope you have fun! The hubris of Europeans just attaching their own names or names of their benefactors to places they saw for the first time (as in Ayres Rock and Mt. Olga) is staggering. Hope today’s tourists and travelers can tread more lightly.

Thank you for sharing that powerful quote! Have you considered doing your presentation about Yawuru language and culture?

Thanks, Ally! A common tragedy shared by all settler colonies …

Thank you, Mahaan! Linguistic diversity in Nepal would make an amazing presentation topic …