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Mandjabu

Kuninjku people traditionally make two sorts of conical fish traps. One called Mandjabu made from milil a vine. And another smaller one called manyilk Mandjabu, made from the grass manylik. The milil conical fish trap is bigger and stronger and used in tidal reaches of creeks to catch large fish. the smaller and 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 smaller children were used to crawl inside and assist.

Categories: Maningrida Arts & Culture

Name: Anniebell Marrngamarrnga

Language: Kuninjku

Community: Maningrida

Biography:

I learnt how to weave from my mother, Nancy Djulumba, who passed away a long time ago [1995]. I first made coiled baskets, twined bags and string bags. I then learned how to paint from my husband [Dick Nadjolorro].

My favourite subject is the yawkyawk ngalkuburriyaymi, female spirit, who lives in the water at Kubumi. It is my husband’s Dreaming. I represent her in my bark paintings, in my timber carvings and also in my weaving.

I came with the idea to make flat yawkyawk from pandanus [Pandanus spiralis]. First I build the bamboo frame and I then weave with colourful pandanus in the same technique I used when making twined bags. I use lots of different colours and I like it. Colours are important in my work.

-  Anniebell Marrngamarrnga, interview by Apolline Kohen at Maningrida Arts and Culture, 12 February 2007

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