Bamanga Bubu Ngadimunku Aboriginal Corporation

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Kirbaji (Dugong)

Kirbaji (Dugong) is an Ancestral Spirit Being (Totem) that I inherited it from my mother’s side.  It is my Totem. The dugong was also an important food source for my ancestors. Only men were allowed to hunt them, and only men had the right to cook and distribute the meat to all the families. My uncles and cousins showed me how to hunt dugongs and they passed down to me the cultural knowledge about them.

My ancestors used to wrap the dugong meat in ginger leaves for flavour, close the wraps with a vine and cook them in the ground oven. Dugongs were only hunted on special occasions such as births, weddings and funerals to provide food for large family gatherings.Dugong fat was also melted to make oil which was used as a medicine for skin and hair ailments or as ointment to treat an upset stomach.

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Kirbaji (Dugong)

Kirbaji (Dugong) is an Ancestral Spirit Being (Totem) that I inherited it from my mother’s side.  It is my Totem. The dugong was also an important food source for my ancestors. Only men were allowed to hunt them, and only men had the right to cook and distribute the meat to all the families. My uncles and cousins showed me how to hunt dugongs and they passed down to me the cultural knowledge about them.

My ancestors used to wrap the dugong meat in ginger leaves for flavour, close the wraps with a vine and cook them in the ground oven. Dugongs were only hunted on special occasions such as births, weddings and funerals to provide food for large family gatherings.Dugong fat was also melted to make oil which was used as a medicine for skin and hair ailments or as ointment to treat an upset stomach.

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Warru Warru Murruku (Men’s Business)

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Ngawiya (Sea Turtle)

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Kadanji (Black Cockatoo)

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Janbal (Quandong)

Janbal (Quandong) is good bush tucker. We gather the fruit from August to January when they are sweet and soft. The kernel of the fruit is very pretty and we often use it to make body adornments such as necklaces and earrings.

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(Janbal (Quandong)

Janbal (Quandong) is good bush tucker. We gather the fruit from August to January when they are sweet and soft. The kernel of the fruit is very pretty and we often use it to make body adornments such as necklaces and earrings.

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Yindili (Kingfisher)

The Kingfisher, known as Yindili in Kuku Yalanji language, is according to our culture one of the significant messenger birds.  The Kingfisher will let us know when to expect a visit from families living in another community, And when we see a Kingfisher close by, we know that something good will soon happen in our personal life.

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Kurranji (Cassowary)

The cassowary is my totem. My mother’s sister handed it down to me when I was a young boy. I perform the cassowary dance in public ceremonies. As a young men, I was part of the Yalanji Dance group and was invited to Hong Kong to perform our traditional dance cycles including the cassowary dance.

 

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Dijar-Dijin (Willy Wagtail)