"Our land and sea are the anchor of our cultural heritage, where our traditions were born and still continue to thrive. Despite the passage of generations impacted by colonisation and settler societies since the 1870s, we consistently uphold our traditional customs.

Our language forms the cornerstone of our identity, and our language belongs to the land, the sea and us. It’s our birthright, our duties and obligations to care for our country where our language belongs too.

While we strive to preserve our native tongue of our Erubam People from the scars of colonisation, we also confront the harsh realities of climate change.”

Lala Gutchen, Director of Youth Verdict and a First Nations witness in the landmark Youth Verdict v Waratah case (the Youth Verdict case).

 

Expert from Attachment 2, Youth Verdict Ltd Submission to the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Obligations Of States In Respect Of Climate Change (20 April 2023, General List No. 187)