Lynda Maybanks is a proud Yagara woman connected to Yerongban, Gateebil, and Guginjin. Raised on her Traditional Country in Ipswich (Dulmur) and Logan (Guginjin), Lynda’s deep connection to culture was nurtured from a young age through active participation in Yagara language and cultural revival. Today, she leads the Yagara language program—empowering community members to reclaim and teach language in schools while strengthening their own cultural ties. Alongside this, she works in education policy, delivering cultural capability training and embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into classrooms and professional environments.

Lynda’s storytelling voice first emerged in high school as a personal outlet, and in 2025, she steps into the public space as a writer for the first time. Her inspiration stems from a desire to amplify Aboriginal voices—voices that for too long have been marginalised. For Lynda, storytelling is a continuation of the world’s oldest living culture, a tradition passed through generations that lives within every First Nations person.

Her NAIDOC Week 2025 short story draws inspiration from her inquisitive four-year-old nephew and her brother, a strong cultural role model. The narrative follows Bandarrra (meaning “strength”) as he explores what NAIDOC means—a gentle and joyful reflection on identity, family, and legacy. Lynda weaves Yagara language throughout the story, encouraging readers to embrace and normalise Aboriginal languages in everyday life.

To Lynda, NAIDOC Week represents celebration, pride, community, and Black Joy. This year’s theme resonates deeply—it speaks to building a culturally inclusive future and ensuring the next generation is equipped to thrive in both worlds. She celebrates by attending community events and corroborees at Musgrave Park, a space where connection and culture come alive.

Lynda believes that Indigenous storytelling is essential—it is how culture lives on, how we honour truth, and how we shape the future. Her advice for emerging First Nations writers? “Everyone has a story. Even if you think you don’t—trust that one day, someone will want to hear your perspective, maybe even someone who’s never met you.”