Anyinginyi Manuku Apparr
Anyul Nyunjjan Anyinginyi Manuku Apparr:
Sharing Our Stories
Warlji anyinginyi anyul apparr turuparan-jan papulanji kapi Wumpurrarni jungu-jju. Para anyul jani turupara apparr Warumungu karrin kari manu kapi. Anyinginyi pikka pikka kapi ngurali tappu tappu pikka pikka para ajjul pinajiki apparr pukka pukka kari manu para ajjul apina. Pulkka pulkka tarpali ngampurru ajjul turupari-jji apparr julali-ki kapi ngunjan-kki para wangkina yurrmiti pulkka pulkka ajunu. Anyul turupara-jjan apparr Warumungu kari para ajjul pinayina anyinginyi. Ngalanya ajjul ngampuru nyirinji-ki apparr pilyi ngara.
It's important for us to share our stories with people, with papulanji (non-Aboriginal people) and Wumpurrarni (Aboriginal) people. When we tell our stories we speak about Warumungu people, Warumungu country and our law. Our kids and grandkids need to know the stories about the old people and about all this country around here where Warumungu people are. All the old ladies want to share their stories so that everyone can see that they have been here a long time and old people before them. We tell our stories for Warumungu people, and for all people to know about us, to hear the stories and understand. That's why we want to write down our stories in a book, properly.
Kathleen Fitz Nappanangka, Eileen Nelson Nappanangka, Edith Graham Nakkamarra, Judy Nixon Nakkamarra, Dora Dawson Nangali, and DW Nakkamarra wanted to record stories about their lives, families, country and relatives for their children and grandchildren. They had all been part of various projects with the Land Council and the Language Centre in town through which they recorded parts of their stories. But they wanted a book. Their book. In 1995 this group of women met Kimberly Christen, a graduate student from the United States. Kimberly agreed to collaborate with the women to help realize their goal. Over the next decade they traveled throughout Warumungu country taking photos, recording audio and video and creating hand drawn sketches. During that time other men and women joined the project adding their own stories about Warumungu country and history including some oral histories and specific family stories.
"The old people they always tell us of things happen, but I don't know what happen, now they all gone. Someday I might write history thing I been telling you. See, one day someone might come around and ask and I show them here, Tennant Creek and all around Warumungu people been."
--Edith Graham Nakkamarra (August 1995)
This project, then, reflects stories from several generations of Warumungu people. Although the project was initially thought of as a history project—collecting and preserving stories from the past. What became evident as they traveled together over several years and recorded people's stories was that this is a story about the connection between the past, present, and the future of the Warumungu community in and around present-day Tennant Creek. Especially after several of the senior women involved in the project passed away, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren wanted a way to access their stories, voices, photos and knowledge on their phones and tablets. This online version of these stories is both a tribute to the people involved and a gift they left for future generations.
Read more about nyirrinta ajjul yurrmul alkki apparr (writing our history) >>
