{"id":2750,"date":"2019-08-14T20:56:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-14T20:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madayin.kluge-ruhe.org\/?p=2750"},"modified":"2023-03-07T18:30:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T18:30:01","slug":"a-trip-to-garrapara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madayin.kluge-ruhe.org\/a-trip-to-garrapara\/","title":{"rendered":"A Trip to Garrapara"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Today, Wuku\u1e49 Wa\u1e49ambi, Kade McDonald and I packed up two troop-carriers and headed towards G\u00e4\u1e49gan<\/a>, a homeland community about 100 miles south-west of Yirrkala. Kade and I had been through G\u00e4\u1e49ga\u1e49 a couple of months earlier to confirm with Yininala Gumana the selections of artworks from the Dha\u1e3bwa\u014bu<\/a> clan to be included in Ma\u1e0fayin<\/em>. On that trip, we had discussed with Yinimala returning to G\u00e4\u1e49g\u00e4n in August so that he could dictate his essay, or \u201cdeclaration,\u201d for the catalogue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yinimala invited us to join him at Garrapara<\/a> \u2013 the saltwater estate of the Dha\u1e3bwa\u014bu clan where he was running an environmental knowledge camp for Yol\u014bu teens as part of his role with the Yirralka Rangers<\/a>. The camp was finishing on the 14th, so Yinimala proposed that he could dictate his essay the following morning, sitting with the saltwater stretching behind him. We were joined for the trip by Wuku\u1e49\u2019s brother, the artist Yalanba Wa\u1e49ambi<\/a>, Dr. Maia Nuku<\/a>, Curator of Oceania at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, her son TeAonehe and publishers Jason and Luca Lavigne of the website Mamamia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Maia Nuku and TeAonehe Nuku in the troopie headed to Garrapara.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Arriving at G\u00e4\u1e49ga\u1e49, Wuku\u1e49 told us to wait in the car, while he headed into one of the house with a packet of cigarettes and a couple of fifty dollar bills. A few minutes later, he was back, minus the cigarettes and cash, and we turned around and headed for Garrapara. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first part of the drive, we retraced our steps along the Central Arnhem Road, until Yalanba directed us to turn onto the most meagre of bush tracks. It was slightly harrowing driving into the wilderness in the dark, but Yalanba seemed to know the every twist and turn of the bush track. After about thirty minutes, I managed to get one wheel stuck in a ditch, at which point Wuku\u1e49 decided he would drive. Wuku\u1e49 has never liked my driving. With Wuku\u1e49 at the wheel, we went a lot faster through the scrub, finally arriving at a large clearing. We were greeted by Yinimala, who was waiting for us with a pile of small, individual tents. He told us to follow him, and he led us to the beach where we would camp. He instructed us to park our 4WD\u2019s on the ocean side, providing both a wind and crocodile barrier, and we quickly set to making camp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It is always great to see Yinimala\u2013and he seemed genuinely pleased to see us too. With the camp finished, he seemed relaxed, and we sat for several hours by the fire drinking milky tea and catching up. It was late when he left our camp, but he told us he would be back early the next morning to make his declaration for the catalogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After breakfast the next morning, Yinimala returned. Wuku\u1e49 had been scouting positions to film Yinimala, and settled on a spot. Settling down in the sand, Yinimala proceeded to deliver an extremely animated piece of oratory in Yol\u014bu Matha. I could make out odd words, but could not understand the content of what he was saying. I could tell, however, that it was being delivered confidence and conviction. For nearly an hour, Yinimala spoke while gesturing to the waters, bays and peninsulas around him His voice never faltered, so clear was the message he was trying to convey. His voice crescendoed  in the rhythmic, songlike-mode of Yol\u014bu oratory. Even though I could not understand him, I knew he was delivering something of great power and significance. At the end, there was silence. Wuku\u1e49 turned to me, and in a low whisper breathed, \u201cmanymak.<\/em>\u201d(Good). Everyone was in a state of stunned silence, when Yinimala replied with a grin, \u201cProbably too complicated, but we can edit it down.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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