Stan Grant Senior was awarded the 2022 Lifetime NAIDOC Award for his work restoring the Wiradjuri language

Uncle Stan Grant Snr, a home-grown Wiradjuri elder described as a "warrior of the Wiradjuri" was recognised with the 2022 NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of work in reconstructing, learning and teaching the Wiradjuri language.

Dr Grant has worked for more than three decades with his brother and researcher Dr John Rudder to produce a dictionary, children's books, song books and university resources teaching the Wiradjuri language.

"Through Dr Grant's efforts, Wiradjuri is a living, changing language and people who are here today speaking this language are directly connected to the people who have spoken this language for thousands of years," the award citation read.

Dr Grant was celebrated at Wagga's NAIDOC Week opening ceremony at Ashmont's Ngurra Hub, where Wiradjuri elder Aunty Judy Johnson spoke.

"Everybody's extremely proud," Wiradjuri elder Aunty Judy Johnson said.

"I don't see any of the positive things that we're doing [being recognised] and that's what Stan is doing, positive things. This is a big boost for us."

Aunty Judy herself holds a Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language from Charles Sturt University - completing a course that only exists courtesy of Dr Grant's dedicated work.

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Vickie-Louise Simpson, Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service's family wellbeing co-ordinator and regional alcohol and other drugs co-ordinator, said that the recognition was a good start.

"It's really great, it's creating that awareness and bringing that opportunity to reconnect with the culture and the language."

"The dictionary and the university courses are both really great, it's a good start."

Aunty Gloria Goolagong, herself a relative of Uncle Stan Grant, said she was incredibly proud of his achievement as well.

Wiradjuri language is now taught in some central west high schools, thanks almost entirely to the devoted work from Uncle Stan Grant.

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