Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation

Bush fruits

Murnun (Dugong) Dugong can be found in the waters around Maningrida They are a protected species but do form part of a traditional manme (bushfood) diet for some saltwater communities.

Murnun (Dugong) Dugong can be found in the waters around Maningrida They are a protected species but do form part of a traditional manme (bushfood) diet for some saltwater communities.

Makassan Boat ‘This is from before when Aboriginal people were using canoe. When the Makassan came my ancestors paddled to the Makassan boats in their canoe and gave the Makassan’s food from our country. Before white man the Makassan travelled around and traded tobacco, rice, flour, sugar, square teabag  made Read more…

Kayawa (baby floor mat) Baby floor mat

Manbirrbbirr dja Kunwardde Manbirrbbirr dja Kunwardde  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. Kunwardde means stone, rock or money in Kuninjku. This design combines imagery of the country around Mumeka with Read more…

Djomi & Rainbow Serpent

Kunmadj Kunmadj is the Kuninjku term for large woven collecting baskets, known as dillybags. They are often made from the burney vine (Malaisia scandens), a strong, pliable plant that grows along the ground and into the canopy of monsoon vine thickets. The baskets are used to collect a variety of heavy foods, such as fish Read more…

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.   

Yawkyawk (young woman spirit) Yawkyawk is a word from the Aboriginal Kunwinjku language, meaning ‘young woman’ and ‘young woman spirit being’. Sometimes compared to the European notion of mermaids, yawkyawks are usually depicted with the tails of fish. They have long hair, associated with trailing blooms of algae, typically found Read more…