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Clapsticks

Wood carving has always been part of Aboriginal culture. Men carved wood for many purposes – tools for hunting or gathering food, axes and knives for building shelters, spears and clubs for protection of their lives and territory, objects for ceremony and to mark sacred sites.

Artists source the timber on country, walking from tree to tree to find the right piece for the desired functional outcome. Once found, it is cut and then brought back to camp to be worked, shaped, sanded and finally finished.

Clapsticks are used in traditional ceremony and dance as a percussion instrument to accompany Mako (didjeridu). Denser woods such as Ironwood or Kerosene wood are preferred due to their crisper clap sound. Clapsticks can be left raw or painted and decorated. Straight timber from younger trees is preferred as it requires less work to make functional.

Categories: Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation

Name: Jason Garmu

Language: Yolngu

Community: Wugularr (Beswick)

Biography:

Jason is a self taught specialist in the art of making hunting implements including spear, bondock, boomerang, shield, and "jumbar-jumbar" or nula-nula/fighting stick.

Using a mix of traditional techniques and materials, through to modern "on hand at the time" components, all his hunting implements are functional. Some may be single use, but in the right hands are deadly. This crafting skill came from a desire to provide for self through hunting. As a young child he often needed a spear. He would use one, then go back to camp, and create a fresh one; Learn, rinse, repeat.

Bush tucker knowledge came from always being out on country & hunting. Cooking traditional ways went hand in hand with this.

Jason is a traditional Bungul dancer and occasionally plays didj for this ceremony.

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