Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation

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Namurre Boko

‘Bini-murreko means two brothers – big brother and little brother.

Two brothers were really strong leaders and good hunters, sharing animals with different tribes.
With those different tribe there were jealousy going on.
Little brother went walkabout and heard the different tribe was talking about his tribe.
They said ngarribin manre djed-djedme bokko
Meaning: will make spear for them
Ngarrbin danj-bun, ngarrbinbun
Meaning: will spear them kill them
little brother turn around went back tell his brother
Namurre bokko kadi marne djed-djedme Karre wonens, kardi-djal danjbun
Meaning: they making spear for us, they gonna spear us
Couple of months they saw different tribe
They changed their attitude
They been bringing lots of animals to them and start asking for women
And that tribe realise that’s how those brothers died.
They kill them
This Why? They got jealous because two brothers was a good hunter.

This story written on the rock art and it stays forever.’

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Modjarrkki (Freshwater Crocodile Story) – Archive

Modjarrkki (Freshwater Crocodile) 

Kune language

‘This is a true story. My great great grandfather and my father told this story and I tell it to my children. It’s about a freshwater crocodile called Modjarrkki. One day an unmarried man who was camping with his brother and his brothers wife went walking by himself. He came to a creek where he found a crocodile. He went back to camp and said to his brother ‘hey I found a croc, lets go kill it!’. He tried to kill the crocodile but the crocodile bit his brother. He bit his guts, his hand, his legs and he died. Modjarrkki was an angry crocodile but today Modjarkki doesn’t bite people, he’s only a little crocodile and he eats barramundi. He is still alive and he lives in rock country, Karrabarda, which is in Gorlobidahdah.’ Jay Rostron Jurrupula

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Ngarndúma (palm tree)

ngarndúma   1) a kind of tall palm tree with one straight trunk; Kentia palm. Gronophyllum ramsayi; Carpentaria acuminata. Gender: djíya; Moiety: Yírriddjanga. N A. Karlakkalóddjarra márdba ka-rénjdjeya. The new shoot is sweet. The growing tip of young palms eaten raw; large palms are not eaten. The fruits are toxic to people but eaten by fruit pigeons. 

Marilyn has depicted ngarndúma on her island homeland. 

 

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Marebu and Bush Dye – Archive

Deborah Wurrkidj is a Kuninjku artist from the Kurulk clan whose country lies around the outstation of Mumeka in central Arnhem Land. She is an accomplished artist working across mediums including painting, sculpture, weaving and textile design. 

Deborah currently lives on Kakodbebuldi Outstaion where she is working from her home studio. Deborah has dyed silk using locally harvested plants cooked over an open fire.

The print design is Marebu (woven pandanus mats).

Artists usually use kundayarr, pandanus spiralis, to weave decorative round or oblong mats, as well as the less common triangular and conical shapes. Weaving is physically hard work, now done only by women. They colour the pandanus using natural dyes made from the roots, leaves or flowers of plants within the weaver’s clan estate.

The radial woven patterns of the finest round mats appear to vibrate with colour, sometimes regarded as an aesthetic manifestation of deep cultural meaning, as there is a significant spiritual dimension to pandanus mats.

This artwork was acquired by the art centre in 2021 as part of an ANKA supported artwork acquisition fund. 

The artwork is not for sale. 

 

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Mandjabu and Kunmadj – Archive

From our archive, circa 2009. This work was included in the exhibition ‘Momentum’ at Tamworth Regional Art Gallery. 

‘Curated by Valerie Kirk, Head of Textiles at the Australian National University. The theme for the Biennial was the gathering of momentum and ideas in response to evolving current technologies in textiles.

“History and Tradition have not been negated. On the contrary, there is a reawakened interest in preserving knowledge and expertise, respecting past traditions and making sure they continue into the future. there is a global attraction to Indigenous textiles and fibre works and many collaborations, development/commercial projects between cultures”

– Valerie Kirk, Momentum: 18th Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial Catalogue, pg.7

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Ngaldadmurrng (Saratoga)

This design tells the story of Saratoga dreaming,  a freshwater fish that swims on the edge of creeks and rivers. This design is the Saratoga dreaming from the Mularra songline. Where the Saratoga we call Murdulngu, Danguny travelled from Malmyangarnak billabong to Mirrigatja.

This Billabong was owned by Murdulngu (Saratoga) before the water was taken over by shark Barlangu he came all the way from east to north then to west. He was travelling when that water level was high he went up the stream but he couldn’t make it. This Barlangu came from Murruggun clan but really this shark came from long way all the way south. This story is connected through Mularra songline it represents many clans.

With permission from clan elders, Carol is able to pass on this family knowledge through her passion in textile and art.


‘I am proud of my first design, I want to keep this design for future, for my children and grandchildren so they remember this story, this story is a big part of the mularra songline’ Carol Liyawanga Campion

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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 caught in conical fish traps or a good harvest of yams. As well as being of practical use, dillybags are of cultural significance to Arnhem Land people. Dillybags are totemic objects and they are associated with particular sites in the landscape.

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