Anyinginyi Manuku Apparr: Stories from Our Country

Kunjarra: Yesterday and Today

Kunjarra
K. Fitz Nappanangka

We was kids here, we come get this one, milk weed you call-im. We been get little one, we not have breasts yet nothing, little one. Take-im like this, hold-im up. We been hold-im now and milk been run down, we been calling self and running now. We been do that like them old ladies, playing like that. Kids go, get bush tucker then.

All around this way been come, Mungamunga, dreaming place we call-im. This good country we come here now sleep, camping, stay here with women, young girls all must be. All the way now this one, we been look after baby there, big mob here. There we been dance, we open 'im here that corroboree, us mob, and Warlpiri mob been come behind now. That hill now that's women's one, dreaming, all around here, everything. This that women's place, soft ground, white ones. Water runs from there, like spring water comes half way. Top of the hill we been go walking all the way. This thing here, Pilpilalki, for women's, waterhole, only for woman not man, man not allowed to go, woman's side we not allowed to go man's side. Its all Mungamunga, that's woman's thing, dreaming, it's really lovely.

We been dancing that way, corroboree all the way we been dancing. All the way big camp, like old people been telling we mob stories. All the way dancing and some kids rest and dancing again all the way around here and up there old people we call them Mungamunga and Kunjarra this name. This way, right up behind this hill right up there that the main area the tree and here the way that's an old one this way right up here this how old people been following it come from that way, naming places Mungamunga.

Woman's ceremony and we been sitting down here, here now, big mob people. We been sitting and we been going now, all the man been come there white people to see we mob. All we mob been dancing. Too many been here, all gone now poor buggars. Corroboree now, woman's corroboree, we dance. We been watchin' that man. All that two man come with mining wanted to start that mining thing, so we came and protested. All the traditional owners came here and sat down right near those rocks and sat there. Might be digging now. We been come quick one with swag and all the boys bring tucker. After them two men been go away, miners, and cut that. Here nothing, and that big bulldozer been cut 'im that way now. Sliced it that hill with rocks like this one again. Cut rocks. And that boss been go and pick 'im up me. That's why we been ask [David] Alexander to get this place, Kunjarra for us mob. Now miners come and talk to us mob first.

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