Preface

This book was w r i t t e n f o r the people o f Groote E y la n d t in the G u lf o f C a rp e n ta ria , in th e N o rth e rn T e r r i t o r y o f A u s t r a l ia . There are about 900 A b o rig in e s on the is la n d , l i v in g e ith e r a t Angurugu, a m iss ion o f th e Church M is s io n a ry S o c ie ty , o r a t Umbakumba, a Government S e ttle m e n t. The language spoken on the is la n d is Än in d ily a u g w a .

These s to r ie s were w r i t t e n down from taped re c o rd in g s made by re p re s e n ta tiv e s o f each o f the main fa m ily groups, and have been i l lu s t r a t e d by th e a p p ro p r ia te men. P a rt 1 c o n s is ts o f s to r ie s be long ing to M o ie ty 1. The symbol on the cover re p re se n ts the West Wind, B a rra , the main to tem o f th e Waṉuŋw a d a rrb a la ŋwa fa m ily . P a rt 2 c o n s is ts o f s to r ie s b e lo n g in g to M o ie ty 2. The symbol on the cover re p re s e n ts the East Wind, Mamariga, th e main totem o f the Waṉ in d i l yaugwa fa m ily .

GROOTE EYLANDT FAMILY STORIES

SEPTEMBER 1971

PART 1

Waṉu ŋw ad a rrba la ŋwa F a m ily :Denuŋg u la ŋwa augwa D a jin u ŋgwa P1Dugong and Echidna P5

Waṉu ŋawär r ig b a F a m ily :Y inuŋwagaḏa P7Sea-eagle P11

Waṉ u ŋw ija rra g b a F a m ily :Y in iŋbeṉa P13Sea-snake P15

Wurragwagwa F am ilyY ugu rre rrendaŋwa P16S a w -fish P19

Denuŋg u la ŋwa augwa D a jin u ŋgwa

Dagina d a j in u ŋgwa y i ŋ-am b ilyem erra dag ina ga la magaḏa manja,emba ŋa la ja dagina denuŋg u la ŋwa äŋbe reŋga manja y i ŋ- ambilyemerra. Dademalawudawarra dag ina dagaba ayaŋgadarrba manja, Arregbeṉ emanja augwa a le b a ja . Äd e r räŋmanja dade- malawudawarra denuŋg u la ŋwa augwa d a j in u ŋgwa. Ŋa la aŋwurrgeruw era manja dagina d a j in u ŋgwa y i ŋ-am b ilyem erra , ŋa la ja äŋberegga manja da.

B iya y i ŋi - y äma denuŋg u la ŋwa, "N aräga dag ina n i ŋe -ŋaṉ ḏ e r r äna äga d iy u g u jiy a magaḏa manj a y i ŋ-am bilyam a y i ŋe-muŋgwadina manja agina aneŋa, nara gamba a y u g u jiy a da n i ŋ-a ṉḏe r r äna ag ina d a ,” y i ŋi - y äma ŋa la dag ina denuŋg u la ŋwa.

" Ŋayuwäga ŋe - le g a ja y i r r e ŋu-w arrugw äy in a n i ŋumaŋaruma l a ŋwa, mäna- n i ŋe - le g a ja manja m adrruŋwaṉäga mamerugwa n äŋbarrenama aŋa lya n i ŋäna n i ŋe-lega jam a baba ," y i ŋi - y äma denuŋg u la ŋwa.

Gamba n a rre ŋe - ly älyimbugwäy in a da. "Yaŋg u r ra ŋwa nuŋguwa rebär rg in a neŋgemaŋiy u g u j iy a , " y i ŋi - y äma denuŋg u la ŋwa, "emba ŋayuwa n i ŋemaŋaruma y än j är r ig in a ŋe -d e rre ṉḏa magaḏuwa?" y i ŋi - y äma.

" Yawa, " y iŋ i - y äma.

Aginäga denuŋg u la ŋwa l a ŋwa aŋa ly a ŋa la y i ŋe-muŋgwadenemäga adrruŋwaṉa äd e r ra . Y iŋe-m a-ŋajama mamedaŋgwa. Aduwaba dagina age-rreŋgenama ag ina aŋa ly a Äd e r räŋmanja y i ŋ-am bilyem a l a ŋwa dagina denuŋg u la ŋwa. Ŋa la ja dag ina d a jin u ŋgwa magaḏa manja y iŋ-ambilyema. Aŋw urrgeruw era naŋwurrgeruwudenama a y u g u jiy a , yaugujina da y i ŋ-am b ilyem erra . Gamba n a r re ŋu-w arrugw äy in a da.

Ŋa la aba y i ŋe -d e rre ṉḏa denuŋg u la ŋwa magaḏuwa. Adalyema agina n a -de rre ṉḏama, n a -d e rre ṉḏama b iy a äb in a manja ne-mu- gwalija jugwuna manja y a u g u jin a aragba ga la y ig e -le g a n a yän jär r ig in a ya u g u jin a y i ŋ-am barreŋa.

Ŋa la ja d a jin u ŋgwa dagina y i ŋe - le g äna aŋär r ib a äŋb e re ŋgawa.

N arreŋu-warrugwäy in a ŋaṉ i ŋga deŋarrgwa d ib in a d a j in u ŋgwa manja denuŋg u la ŋwa l a ŋwa y i ŋ- är r i b i y äy in a n a -ŋagumaṉ a d a j in u ŋgwa manja. Ŋa la ja d ib in a ŋawa ambawura ayama. Gamba y i ŋe-ma- guraŋa aragba dagina da, y i ŋe-muŋgwadina aneŋa da.

Y iŋe -m a -rre ŋga b iy a , "Mäma be ŋawa m adrruŋwaṉa n i ŋe-ma- guränam erra ," y i ŋi - y äma. Än i ŋaba aga lya gamba äna n i ŋe - lya ŋägbe raga juŋw a , y i ŋi - y äma.

Ŋalaju-gwaba y i ŋe - r re ŋga aŋa ly a y i ŋe-muŋgwadenema d a jin u ŋgwa. " Äna be ŋawa a d e rrŋägbeṉa. G i-y äm in jäminama gamba n i ŋän a ," ŋa la ja y i ŋi - y äma.

Dademalawudawarra gamba y i ŋ-ambilyama y a u g u jin a y i ŋe - muŋgwadenema dagina denuŋg u la ŋwa l a ŋwa mamedaŋgwa mamagwulyemeda ne-mäminama. Augwa adalyema y i ŋe -d e rre ṉḏema l a ŋwa ŋa le la ŋwa magina mamerugwa, adalyema gamba ag ina n a -d e rre ṉḏama aŋär r ib a m i j iy älyuwa. Ŋa la ju-gw aba magina ne-me-gwageruwudenama m ib ina Äd e rräŋmanja magina ŋawa ŋa la ju -gw aba nem-ambilyama y i ŋ- ambilyema la ŋwa d a jin u ŋgwa aŋa ly a . Agina be ŋawa da.

Dugong and Echidna

Echidna once l iv e d in th e sea w h ile Dugong l iv e d on dry land, T he ir totems are a t Äd e r r äŋm anja, on th e o th e r s ide o f Arregbeṉemanja. That was where Echidna l iv e d in the bay and Dugong on dry la n d .

One day Dugong s a id , " I don’ t th in k i t ' s a good ide a f o r Echidna who is so sm all to l i v e in the sea and have to d ig th a t b ig sea-weed f o r her fo o d . I t ' s n o t a t a l l a good id e a ."

"Let me go and change p laces w ith h e r ," she co n tin u e d , "because I am b ig . I am so b ig th a t when I w a lk I make a huge tra c k and take up too much room ."

So the two o f them d iscussed the problem . "Come on out from the sea, l i t t l e one ," s a id Dugong. "What about me go ing down in to the sea in s te a d , see ing I ’ m th e b ig g e s t? "

" A l l r ig h t , " answered Ech idna.

Dugong had c e r ta in ly dug huge ho les and p i le d up th e sand where s h e - liv e d . We can see i t to da y , where she once l iv e d a t Äderräŋmanja. But E ch idn a 's home was the sea, in a l i t t l e

bay. And so they changed p la ce s .Dugong made her way down to the sea. A r iv e r goes down

and jo ins the sea th e re where she w alked, and i t f lo w s in he r track . And the re she s tayed .

At the same tim e Echidna came out on to d ry la n d .

They a lso exchanged those sp ines on E ch id n a 's back th a t Dugong had f i r s t and to o k o f f and pu t on to Ech idna. Now i t ’ s Dugong th a t has o n ly a few h a ir s . And now Dugong began e a tin g sea-weed and d ig g in g i t up. She looked a t i t and s a id , "T h is w i l l do. I can eat t h is b ig sea-weed. What a lo v e ly p lace I 'v e discovered! "

Echidna a lso looked around he r where Dugong had beendigging up the sand and s a id , "T h is w i l l be ju s t r ig h t f o r me.I ' l l always s ta y here now."

So Dugong's to tem is th e re where she dug up huge ho les in the sand. And the r iv e r f lo w s down.to th e beach where he r track went down to the sea. And the bay a t Ä d e r räŋma n ja is s t i l l there where Echidna used to l i v e .

Y in u ŋwagaḏa

Ijija m a n ja l a ŋwa naŋgarrem erra yag ina y in u ŋwagaḏa . Amagalyuwagba la ŋwa Maŋgaṉemerra l a ŋwa aŋa ly a aginuwa ne-m arde- mardemerra b iya I j i ja m a n ja na lam berra .

Ne-ma-maŋa aragba, augw alya n e -ŋu rrg u rrg w äna yag ina y inuŋwagaḏa da. Yugwala ne-m a-ŋägberaga m iyär r i y a . Aragba wunalagina nän-ugwäy in a ayaugwa da„

Duwangerrariya "Y i-m in e -ŋägberaga l a ŋwa ŋa n ja , nawawa, mäna n iŋe-marriyaga ŋaya m iyär r i y a , " y i ŋi - y äma d ed a rre ŋga daŋwa darrguwänigba.

"Ŋa rra ! Ŋa rra y äb i j äbäga ŋaṉa ŋa rre -m a -ŋäg b e ra g in a m e rra . miyär r iy a , " n i - y äma.

Yugwala n e -ŋu rrg e ŋu rrg w äna märre g u rra w iy a ne-ma-maŋa, emba abeṉaja näne-ma-ŋägberaga m iyär r i y a . Wu rrug w a la wurrababeṉa wurragina narre -m a -ŋägberagama m iyär r i y a . Ne-ma-ŋägbeŋägberaga biya n i-yam arŋgwäga.

"N iŋe-ma-ŋägberaga, la g a nuŋgwaja?" n i - y äma duw angerra riyaw a."Nara ŋaya, n i ŋe -m arriyaga nawawa da. Ŋa n ja gu-m i-yam arrga

mämäma?" y i ŋi - y äma.

"Mama aragba magina amambilya, emba augwalyuwa aragba ŋurrgwaja än a ," n i - y äma. "Wu-mäna augwalya a ra gb a ," agäna nara augwalya g e -ŋe-maŋa ŋa la ,

''A w u rra ra riya w iya augwalya neŋgäna neŋge-maŋume rra na?" n i- y äma y in u ŋwagaḏa. "Aŋw ala w iya dag ina y i ŋu-maŋemerra augwalya algwa w iya, n a räga augwalya ag ina än i ŋaba g e -ŋe-maŋa, a ly a ŋa rra wiya augwa d i ja ŋb i ly a w iya y i ŋe-mänama dag ina duw angerra riya d a ," n i- y äma nagina y in u ŋwagaḏa.

Änäja aragba nag ina nän u ŋwagaḏa "Ŋarre -m a-beḏäna aragba abawa aŋu rrg w a rrŋa, ŋa rre -m a -ŋägbe rag ina , gwa, ŋa r r e - ŋägberag ina aŋwura," n i - y äma.

Ne-mambajina nag ina da. Ne-mamambajina m iyaŋu . . .w a . Ne- mända aragba. Gäm b irra n e -m a - la rrŋguwaberraŋa magina da. Ne- ma - la r r ŋg e la r rŋguwaberraŋena magina, b iy a ne-ma-beḏaŋa. Nuw- aŋmagaya aragba wurrababeṉäga wu r ra g in a .

Ne -m e- l y a r rŋ el y a r r ŋanda maḏawa augwa narra -m a-w urrag -abeḏaŋa wurragina. Ne-ma-beḏaŋäga augwalya maginägäna n e -m a - la rra ŋa biya "Nara, ne-m e-rugwuda," n i - y äma.

"Guraya, ŋa r r e - r ib ig in a , " n i - y äma nag ina . Ne-ma-laba äna.

"Ah, män i ŋabäga mäma augwalya da. Mämäga ŋawa ge-riberib ig inam a augwalya än a ," n i - y äma.

Magina ŋawa gäm b irra n e - r ib ig in a m e rra merugwa da ne-ma-mänama da.

Sea-eagle

Sea-eagle fle w out from I j i ja m a n ja . He had come from Maŋgaṉ emerremanja on B ic k e rto n , and he l ik e d the lo o k o f Ijija m a n ja and s e tt le d th e re .

Wh ile some o f the eagles were c a tc h in g f i s h , o the rs were making th e ir nes ts . Two o f them were ta lk in g to g e th e r.

"Do make my nest f o r me, 'b ro th e r ," said D uw angerra riya , "because, I ’ ve s p o i l t m ine ."

"No indeed," re p lie d h e r b ro th e r Nänuŋwagaḏa . "We a l l make our own nests s e p a ra te ly . Go ahead and make your own."

Some eagles, were c a tc h in g Long Toms, b u t these two were making th e ir nes ts . A l o t o f o th e r eag les were making n es ts as w e ll. Nänuŋwagaḏa went on making h is n e s t u n t i l he was s a t is f ie d .

"M ine's ready, what about yours? he asked h is . s is te r Duwangerrariya.

"Mine’ s n o t, I ’ ve s p o i l t i t , b ro th e r . Whatever can I do w ith it? "

"Never mind, leave i t now and come f i s h in g , " he answered.

Y in iŋbeḏa

Yagina y i n i ŋbeṉa nambarrinema yag ina Aŋwuda. Yagina ŋawa n e - le g änema, b iy a yaŋaba gämba M ily a rre m a n ja .

Y augu jina gamba ne-muŋgwadenema ag ina n e -ŋurrberrugwama äd e rra . Gäm b irra augwuŋwa ag ina y a u g u jin a nagumanema , nuw- agumajuŋwunuma augwuŋwa ameṉḏagagina ŋawa äd e rra ne-muŋgwadenema nagumaṉ ema augwuŋwa w iya ag ina .

Augwa ameṉḏagagina äga nuw -a lgäy änama yag ina ŋa luw ag iya , yäga yagina na lgayänama ameṉḏagagina manja äd e rra augwuŋwa.Yäga yag ina yawulga n a lga yänama yimeṉḏagagina y a u g u jin a , nalgayijuwama yag ina y i n i ŋbeṉa yag ina y in im am alya w iya yag ina yägamerra na lgayänama y a u g u jin a . Yawulga yag ina y i - n i - yäŋgb ijinam a yag ina .

Sea-snake

Sea-snake was camped a t Aŋwuda. He t r a v e l le d from th e re to M ilya rrem an ja where he dug f o r w a te r. He pu t th e w a te r th e re and i t rose up in those ho les he dug to f i l l them.

And those tre e s th a t s tand th e re to g e th e r are the Sea- snake totems beside those w a te r-h o le s . A l l those awulga tre e s the re are Sea-snake totem tre e s th a t Sea-snake p u t th e re when he was. a man. Because th e y are Sea-snake to tem tre e s , we c a l l them "yawulga" in s te a d o f "a w u lg a ".

Y ugu rre rrendaŋwa

Yandarrŋa yag ina n e -le g a ṉema aŋa leba äŋga l a ŋwa aruma la ŋwa aŋa ly a , bi ya Amagalyuwagba nag be rra ŋama. Yadegina gamba n i- y äŋbinema yagina lugwagwa n e - le g äna manja näne-maga yugu rre rrendaŋwuwa. "Y augu jina augwala na-meṉḏa g -a le le g a ṉa, amaduwaya amaṉ endaŋwa yu g u rre rre n d a ŋwa i l y a ŋa a ra la r ra augwa da rre ba ." Yaga gäm b irra y u g u rre rre n d a ŋwa aragba.

Än ä ja n e -le g a ṉa Y andarrŋa aŋär r ib a , nu-wuḏaŋa D ily a u g u r rg - bawa. Ŋa la ja y u g u rre rre n d a ŋwa " Ŋa n ja yada ŋu-m ine-w äŋg a r r ŋa ju ŋw a ," n i- y äma yag ina da. "Ŋe - le g a ja . "

Aragbäga yag ina n e -le g a ṉema l a ŋwa, yu g u rre rre n d a ŋwa än äga awurragwulyemeda yimaṉ endaŋwa iy a yimaduwaya iy a i l y a ŋa äna nä-yuwäyinema ameṉḏa gag ina , na-lugwamerrgajuwama yag ina manja yugu rre rrendaŋwa da. Dugwäga yaruma yag ina n i - l y a ŋmaŋuma ŋawa baba da. N e-legaṉa ya g in a . Ŋa la ja y ib in a L i r r äba narumudena aragba yaga da.

Ŋa la ja yag ina y u g u rre rre n d a ŋwa ne- re b är rg in a yaga da. Ne— re ŋandaŋäga aragba aŋa ly a yag ina n e - le g änemerra än e la ŋwa merra

äb ina a g a rrŋa äb in a äm inda. Äna ŋawa nadalyumagama ne - re ŋandaŋuma, naba lguw urraŋuma aŋär r ib a a ribaw a, nadaŋmajuwama agina nadalyumagama. Aragba n e - re ŋandaŋa n a j i r r a g a nadalyumaga da. Ŋa la ja a lem erra nuw -abanjäl a ŋuma.

Ŋa la ja L i r r äba y ib in a ŋa la ja yaga a r i j e l a ŋwa narumudenema na-lugwamerrgajuwama ŋawa da. Ŋa la ja i l y a ŋa iy a yimaduwaya demaṉ endaŋwa aragba a r i j e l a ŋwa na-lugwamerrgajuwama yugu rre rrendaŋwa manja.

S a w -fish

Yandarrŋa t r a v e l le d from the m ainland to Groote E y land t s topp ing a t B ic k e rto n . On the way a cross , he s a id to S a w -fish , "Some o the rs have gone the same way, a l l d i f f e r e n t k in d s o f s t in g - r a y ." .He h im s e lf s e t o f f to c lim b tow ards D ily a u g u rrg b a , but S aw -fish s a id , " I ' l l , t ake a s h o r t c u t . "

A f te r Y andarrŋa had l e f t h im . S a w -fish se t o f f t o o , w ith a crowd o f many d i f f e r e n t s t in g - ra y s a l l t r a v e l l in g to g e th e r , fo l lo w in g on a f te r h im . S a w -fish le d the way, p ro b a b ly because he was the b ig g e s t.

Meanwhile L i r r äba the t id e was grow ing b ig . S a w -fish reached G roote, came out o f th e sea, and s ta r te d to cu t h is way th rough the la n d , u s in g h is te e th and nose as he w ent. So he made the r iv e r -b e d , c u t t in g ou t the land and th ro w in g the e a rth a s id e , opening a way f o r h im s e lf . On and on he went c u t t in g h is way th rough , c le a r in g a p a th , making the r iv e r -b e d . As the w ater came in , the d i r t was s t i r r e d up, and L i r r äba the t id e grew b ig g e r and b ig g e r , fo l lo w in g on c lo se behind S a w -fis h . Then came a l l the d i f f e r e n t k in d s o f s t in g - ra y , s t i l l fo l lo w in g on behind S aw -fish as he le d the way.

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