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Birmba (White Cockatoo)
Birmba (White Cockatoo) is my family totem. It has been passed down from generation to generation. They always remind me of my grandfather, my sister and other family members who have passed on. White Cockatoos are like protective spirits for me and my family. They will give you signs. Good signs and signs of danger. They will let you know when to move on.
When I’m out with my grandchildren and there is a white cockatoo, I might say, “that is your grandmother, my sister who is watching us”.
At other times, the spirits of other family members visit us in form of white cockatoos. The White Cockatoo keeps our living and past family connected to each other and to our country. When I’m alone, I know they are around. I speak to their spirit and they give me strength.
225182439755
Birmba (White Cockatoo)
Birmba (White Cockatoo) is my family totem. It has been passed down from generation to generation. They always remind me of my grandfather, my sister and other family members who have passed on. White Cockatoos are like protective spirits for me and my family. They will give you signs. Good signs and signs of danger. They will let you know when to move on.
When I’m out with my grandchildren and there is a white cockatoo, I might say, “that is your grandmother, my sister who is watching us”.
At other times, the spirits of other family members visit us in form of white cockatoos. The White Cockatoo keeps our living and past family connected to each other and to our country. When I’m alone, I know they are around. I speak to their spirit and they give me strength.
225182439754
Kadanji (Palm Cockatoo)
Kadanji (Palm Cockatoo) is my family Totem. It is very important to me because it holds all the stories relating to the traditional land that was passed down to me and my siblings through my fathers side, grandfathers and great grandfathers side.
225182439752
Kakan (Black Palm) Basket Weaving
This design shows how the bottom part of a black palm basket is woven. My grandmothers and aunties used to make them. They cut off the young palm leaves in the centre, stripped and scrapped them. Then they would put the strips in freshwater to make them soft and keep them straight for weaving.
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Gomarla (Egret bird)
The artist has carved the ‘Gomarla’, which in the Burarra word for Egret. This bird is native to the country of Yilan, which is the coastal region North West of Maningrida Community.
People use feathers from gomarla to make ceremonial regalia for Yirrichinga. Many Yirrichinga groups own manikay ‘song’ for gomarla.
Gomarla mun-baparrurr Gopungorra. Jin-gubatbatcha jin-banga jiny-yorkiya. Gomarla waykin makukuya mu-guyinda.
The egret belongs to the Gopungorra clan. It always eats grasshoppers. The egret is high in a nest (builds its nest in the tree).
111982439750
Gomarla (Egret bird)
The artist has carved the ‘Gomarla’, which in the Burarra word for Egret. This bird is native to the country of Yilan, which is the coastal region North West of Maningrida Community.
People use feathers from gomarla to make ceremonial regalia for Yirrichinga. Many Yirrichinga groups own manikay ‘song’ for gomarla.
Gomarla mun-baparrurr Gopungorra. Jin-gubatbatcha jin-banga jiny-yorkiya. Gomarla waykin makukuya mu-guyinda.
The egret belongs to the Gopungorra clan. It always eats grasshoppers. The egret is high in a nest (builds its nest in the tree).
111982439749
Gomarla (Egret bird)
The artist has carved the ‘Gomarla’, which in the Burarra word for Egret. This bird is native to the country of Yilan, which is the coastal region North West of Maningrida Community.
People use feathers from gomarla to make ceremonial regalia for Yirrichinga. Many Yirrichinga groups own manikay ‘song’ for gomarla.
Gomarla mun-baparrurr Gopungorra. Jin-gubatbatcha jin-banga jiny-yorkiya. Gomarla waykin makukuya mu-guyinda.
The egret belongs to the Gopungorra clan. It always eats grasshoppers. The egret is high in a nest (builds its nest in the tree).
225182439748
Kurriyala (Carpet Snake)
The carpet snake used to be an important food animal for our ancestors. They wrapped the meat in native ginger leaves and cooked it on the hot coals of the ground oven. They also used the skin to make head bands or skillfully sewed blankets to keep the families warm and dry at night.
The carpet snake also has spiritual significance for me. I inherited the carpet snake Totem and related cultural knowledge from my father’s side. According to our Kuku Yalanji creation stories, the carpet snake was an Ancestral Being that travelled in its human form across the country creating waterways wherever it went, including on my father’s clan lands.
In my upbringing I was taught to respect our elders who prepared me for my future role as carrier of cultural knowledge and spiritual traditions. I was also taught the values of taking responsibility for caring for our traditional clan country and help maintain it for the younger generations so they can become strong leaders.
Art is my way of keeping the cultural knowledge of my ancestors alive and passing it down to my children and grandchildren. Sharing this body of knowledge creates strong family ties and gives me my strength.
111982439747
Gomarla (Egret bird)
The artist has carved the ‘Gomarla’, which in the Burarra word for Egret. This bird is native to the country of Yilan, which is the coastal region North West of Maningrida Community.
People use feathers from gomarla to make ceremonial regalia for Yirrichinga. Many Yirrichinga groups own manikay ‘song’ for gomarla.
Gomarla mun-baparrurr Gopungorra. Jin-gubatbatcha jin-banga jiny-yorkiya. Gomarla waykin makukuya mu-guyinda.
The egret belongs to the Gopungorra clan. It always eats grasshoppers. The egret is high in a nest (builds its nest in the tree).