w a lk in g by tlie s e a

Mil iŋinbil i l

WALKING BY THE SEA

The Story of

Gurrmirriŋu land

by Mil iŋinbi l i l (1)

ENGLISH AND YANHAtyU

WRITTEN AT Milingimbi Adult Education Centre

PUBLISHED BY Milingimbi Literature Production Centre

@ 1976 Miliginbilil (1) Illustrated by: D.Yambal (2) Printed by: D.Nulupani Published with assistance from the

Aboriginal Arts Board.

CROC

ODILE

IS

LAND

S

The Guardian of Sacred Things

This man is the spiritual leader for the land of Rapuma, Bodiya and Gurriba. He is the light for his people and the guardian of sacred things.My uncle, Wuijgulbu, is staying home, hut he won't run out of food or clothing because his relations are working. It is Aboriginal custom for relations to work for the people at home.

ŋarra nhaŋu djinipu waŋgalabu Rapumabu ga Gurribabu. !]arra mana nyina.

3

Wodhal

One day, Wodhal came in with a long harpoon. He came in through the jungle and a man was sitting beside the jungle making firesticks so he could cook his fish. While he was making them, Wodhal came and the man saw him all dressed in paper bark. He tried to run away, but Wodhal left the man and took the fish and went back home. This is a true story. Wodhal is still alive here, living at Bodiya

Wodhal mana nyina nhaŋku Bodiya. Nhani nhaŋku rulku birrimbirmharraŋu rjani birrimbirrway. Nhani mana nyina.

Burrtjin

'The Gamalanga and Gorryindi and Malarra people are always helping the Burrtjin. They must put the fish for the Burrtjin in front of them.

The Burrtjin is always wanting fish. If there are no people there he still waits. If you go past him you must give him half the fish. If you have no fish you must tell him, so he can know. If you don't tell him, he

and Gayku knew each ether. They send

7

Wunhaŋu

Wunanu lives in Milingimbi Island. Every time there is a storm, and there is heavy rain and thunder and lightning, and we see the water rising, that means that Wunanu is coming up to stop that storm.

Wunhaŋu nhaŋu Miliŋinbipu waŋgalabu ŋarakabu. Nhani mana Miliŋinbi qorra.

Marragalbiyana and Mindirritj

Marragalbiyana was the first man who lived on Gurriba. They were very good turtle hunters, so the. used to eat turtle all the time.

One day some neonle were travelling by eanoe from Murrurjga to Gurriba to get turtle eggs and turtles. And he ate them all whole. Then the people asked Marragalbiyana, "Where is the turtle body?"

And he said, "There is none left. It is all gone."

And then he asked one of the people to marry one of his sons, but they were not allowen to sleep close together.

This was Karragalbiyana's law for the peorle who lived on Gurriba.

And they left Marragalbiyana behind and went back to Murrunga.

And then Mindirritj came with is wife.And Marragalbiyana saw that Mindirritj•s wife was here and he said, "Are you here, Mindirritj? what do you want?"

And Mindirritj said, "I want to stay here."

But Karragalbiyana said, "1N0 , you have to go away. This is my land."

They started to fight, and Marragalbiyana speared Mindirritj right through the ribs.Then Mindirrit.j speared Marragalbiyana throughthe knee and foot and made Marragalbiyana sit down. Then Hindirritj's wife said, "We'll have to go."

So they picked a vine, and wrapped up some sand, and took it a way so they could make Bodha Island (1). But Mindirritj was badly wounded and he was oozing at the sides and foaming at the mouth, but still his wife helped him. When they reached Nanduwa, he said, "This is my land, I'll have to live here."

do he made bodha Island (1). And his wife said, "You'll have to stay here, and I'll stay beside you."

Minairritj nhaŋu bunakiyinya Gurribaŋa warjgalaŋa. Nhani mananha nyininya Marradhunbarama Gurribabu Marragalbiyana, baj.a Mindirritjthu gänhaba munatha rogu, gänhaba ga djäma 3odhaba dhakal.

Mayawalan' and Mithilguwuy

Mayawalan' and Kithilguwuy lived at Guiana. While they were there they saw smoke corning from Murrurjga Island. They saw it and wonderedabout the grass and leaves burning, and thought maybe they should go there. So Mayawalan' said "You'll have to stay here, and I'll p0."

So she went to Mäluwa. Firstly she threw a wooden tipped spear over Bodha Island (2) and where it landed in the sea, it made Naliya rock. Then she turned back and started to make her home, and the bag of lily bulbs fell over and the bulbs scattered on the ground.

So Bulaŋgarr came in and took some bulbs and went to the lake and put them there.Then Gurrmirrirju sat down and tried to pick un all the lily bulbs to fill the bag again, but she couldn't find them all. So she thought,"Ah, I see. Perhaps Bularjgarr has been here."So she went to the lake and saw the bulbs growing green leaves and started to cry for those bulbs.

And the Bulaijgarr was up in the tree and he heard her crying, so slowly he went and picked half of the sprouting bulbs and put them on the top of the tree stump for himself So Gurrmirrinu went back to Mäluwa and stayed there.

Mayawalan' Mithilguwuy balay mananha nyininya Mulaŋaŋa waŋgalaŋa.

'ia nhaŋuba waxjgaia napu bayiju djäma Gurriba ga Rapuma yolqugu lianapulumabi ,

Today’s People

The place where we lived on Gurriba or Rapuma is safe for yolnu, Yanhaŋu people. That is why they lived on Gurriba or Rapuma.They made paper bark houses or grass houses or lived in caves. Still we use the same idea for our home.

'N ääiSk% Ii11 'sffssi1 j-Zt*-!—» II f f ^ S II |\ .xy QHL! //HI IJLIlI

In the shade we live like this: not on a chair, not on a log, but on the ground. When we eat, not on a table, but on the blanket. You can see in the picture the children who are standing with the food in their hands.

V/e can't change ourselves.

Radha' radhala bayrju nyina rulka blanketija ŋani munathaijabi.

Today's Children

These children belong to the sea water. They always play near there. They are not allowed to go to the bush or visit country because they know the sea. They need fish in the sea water, crabs, turtle, turtle eggs, sea birds and sea eggs.

And also they need to see if the tide is out so they can go to the rock pools and catchmany different types of fish, just using their hands.

Nhaŋu radha'radhala bayŋu nyininya gapuŋa rrathuŋguli rulka diltjiŋa.

n

J 9

Nhaŋuba ŋuthumu bina bayŋu ŋanapu dhalkarana ritjiyu.

20

People on Gurriba

When all the Gurrnirrinu had gone, my grandfather and grandmother lived at Gurriba. They ate fish all the time and no vegetable food. So my grandfather thought, "Ah, I see. That's the ve etable I forgot." So he went, and got bags and digging sticks and they started to dig for betiju.

His wife went back to get firewood ready to cook the betrju. So she made the fire, and when it had burned down leaving glowing coals and hot sand, my grandfather came back from the bush bringing the betrju. They cut the bet^u into pieces and started to scrape holes in the fire. When they finished they made the ground like a grave and put a marking stick with a baler shell on it at one end of the grave.

Then they went back home and waited for tomorrow. My grandfather said, "We'll have to sleep until tomorrow."

21

When the morning sunrise came, they went back to get the betiju. So they started to eat it. When they had eaten it they felt tired and dizzy and felt like vomiting, because they didn't know about the betrp on Gurriba. It is different from the betgu on Rapuma. That Gurriba betŋu is maralnu. You are not allowed to cook it and you are not allowed to eat it.

So my grandfather and grandmother knew then that it was not a vegetable for eating. Many people have died from it, but my grandfather and grandmother lived, because when they ate it, they knew straight away and ate fish and fresh water to make it better.

Nhaŋu Gurribabu ŋuthumu dhana bina. Dhana dhaŋaŋ'thana warrpam'. Rulkamara Rápumabu napu bayŋu bin, rulka bayŋu dhaŋaŋ'thun. Manymak bayŋu ŋanapu bin Rapumabu ŋuthumu.

21

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