August 2023

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Mandjabu (Fish Trap) – Susan Marawarr

“In old times people would make these mandjabu (fish traps) to go fishing. They are made with vine we find in the jungle. That old man, Anchor Gulunba, he showed me how to make these fish traps. I would sit there and watch him making them. We catch barramundi, catfish, all kinds of fish.” – Helen Lanyinwanga

Kuninjku people traditionally make two sorts of conical fish traps. One called mandjabu made from a vine called milil, and another smaller one called manylik mandjabu, made from the grass manylik. The mandjabu conical fish trap is bigger and stronger and used in tidal reaches of creeks to catch large fish. The smaller, lighter manylik trap is used in freshwater flowing creeks to catch smaller fish and freshwater prawns. Traditionally, only men were involved in the construction of the large fish traps, but children would often crawl inside and assist.

To make fish traps and fish net fences artists firstly get vine (milil) from the jungle and they put it in water for one night to make it soft. Next they start weaving it; they make rings for the inside to keep the fish trap’s shape. Artists work for three or four weeks on the fish trap. They also make string from kurrajong (burdaga) to attach the hibiscus (bardainy) rings and to tie the conical end of the fish trap. This fish trap is used in saltwater and freshwater. People also use fish net fences called mun-dirra. A long time ago they would put the mun-dirra across rivers and creeks. In the middle they would place the an-gujechiya. They also used small things like sticks, rocks, mud and grass to block the fish from going through. People would then catch fish like saltwater barramundi rajarra, freshwater barramundi (janambal), small black freshwater catfish (buliya), bonefish (an-guwirrpiya), and sand bass (dalakan) in these fish traps.

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Ngarndúma (palm tree)

ngarndúma   1) a kind of tall palm tree with one straight trunk; Kentia palm. Gronophyllum ramsayi; Carpentaria acuminata. Gender: djíya; Moiety: Yírriddjanga. N A. Karlakkalóddjarra márdba ka-rénjdjeya. The new shoot is sweet. The growing tip of young palms eaten raw; large palms are not eaten. The fruits are toxic to people but eaten by fruit pigeons. 

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Bawaliba & Bush Flower

‘Starting back in the caves, before humans, in that place, my country Djinkarr, spirits lived. When Bawaliba (stone country spirit) were hungry, they picked up their dilly bags and went walking to collect food. They found fresh bush flowers and dug them up to plant back home and ate the fruit growing beneath them. On their way home, the Bawaliba came across a big rainbow serpent. Some Bawaliba ran back to the cave, the rest of them tried to fight the serpent with spears and distract it with their loud clap sticks and singing, but the rainbow serpent won and ate them.

When we go there to my country, we see the Bawaliba peeping at us every time. They are so cheeky and trick us. Sometimes I tell them ‘Hey leave us alone! We’re busy working on our country!’. They are good spirits they don’t make trouble.’ – Lucy Yarawanga 2023

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Wayuk

‘I always follow the footpath of my grandmother. I have too many stories of my grandmother. We went to the bush and ate bushtucker like yam, yabbie, barra, catfish and magpie goose. We didn’t come into town often, we were staying at Barrihdjowkkeng outstation. I learned how the old people used to live. I always think about my family out there and I keep going. My grandmother asked me to work with her for many years. I watched her making lino and screen printing. That’s why I stay in this job and I’m for the women’s centre’.  Roseanna Bonson 2021

Roseanna’s first design is a 2 colour waterlily design. Wayuk (waterlily) *kuninjki grow in the swamps around Barrihdjowkkeng.

‘The flowers of the waterlily are white and yellow and I like that kind of colour.’ Roseanna Bonson 2021

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Man-mobban (Billy Goat Plum Leaves)

Man-mobban are the leaves of the man-morlak tree (billy goat plum).

The small, green plums can be found in abundance on Susan’s homeland, Mumeka.

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Manbirrbbirr (small bush flowers)

In Kuninjku the name manbirrbbirr is used for a number of densely flowering shrubs and small trees including Verticordia cunninghamii, yellow flowering Austromyrtus species and also Acacia platycarpa which also has dense white. 

 

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Ngaldadmurrng (Saratoga)

This design tells the story of Saratoga dreaming,  a freshwater fish that swims on the edge of creeks and rivers. This design is the Saratoga dreaming from the Mularra songline. Where the Saratoga we call Murdulngu, Danguny travelled from Malmyangarnak billabong to Mirrigatja.

This Billabong was owned by Murdulngu (Saratoga) before the water was taken over by shark Barlangu he came all the way from east to north then to west. He was travelling when that water level was high he went up the stream but he couldn’t make it. This Barlangu came from Murruggun clan but really this shark came from long way all the way south. This story is connected through Mularra songline it represents many clans.

With permission from clan elders, Carol is able to pass on this family knowledge through her passion in textile and art.

‘I am proud of my first design, I want to keep this design for future, for my children and grandchildren so they remember this story, this story is a big part of the mularra songline’ Carol Liyawanga Campion

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Kunred Kunkurra (Helen Kaminski)

The artist, Janet Marawarr calls this design Kunred Kunkurra in her language, Kuninjku. Kunred means country, kunkurra refers the spiralling wind associated with the mini cyclones that occur around several sites in the Kardbam clan during the build up to the wet season. Marawarr often shares different versions of Kunkurra in her Lino print and Screen Print designs, the story or djang (dreaming) can be heard across the Kardbam clan groups  Eastern Kunwinjku and Kuninjku people  of the Yirridja moiety. This particular artwork describes the underground lightening that occurs during Kunkurra, in the build up to a storm in Mankorlod, Marawarr’s clan estate in West Arnhem Land. 

‘The round shapes in the design mean flashing lightening. The lines beside those shapes are foot tracks,  human foot tracks. When the rain falls it makes mud and underground lightening. When the sky is really red and black, we see the build up to a storm and we call that Kakodjngolbalabalahmen. That means that the clouds are forming.   So that’s the one you see in this artwork.  You can also see the leaves on top of the mud when the rain stops.’ Janet Marawarr 2023 

 

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Kunred Kunkurra (Helen Kaminski)

The artist, Janet Marawarr calls this design Kunred Kunkurra in her language, Kuninjku. Kunred means country, kunkurra refers the spiralling wind associated with the mini cyclones that occur around several sites in the Kardbam clan during the build up to the wet season. Marawarr often shares different versions of Kunkurra in her Lino print and Screen Print designs, the story or djang (dreaming) can be heard across the Kardbam clan groups  Eastern Kunwinjku and Kuninjku people  of the Yirridja moiety. This particular artwork describes the underground lightening that occurs during Kunkurra, in the build up to a storm in Mankorlod, Marawarr’s clan estate in West Arnhem Land. 

‘The round shapes in the design mean flashing lightening. The lines beside those shapes are foot tracks,  human foot tracks. When the rain falls it makes mud and underground lightening. When the sky is really red and black, we see the build up to a storm and we call that Kakodjngolbalabalahmen. That means that the clouds are forming.   So that’s the one you see in this artwork.  You can also see the leaves on top of the mud when the rain stops.’ Janet Marawarr 2023