Murrinh Niyith-niyith Kanhi-ka Da Ngarra Eskimo Wangu-wa MURRINH-PATHA Murrinh Niyith-niyith Kanhi-ka Da Ngarra Eskimo Wangu-wa SUMMER INSTITUTE OF LINGUISTICS DARWIN 1978 © SUMMER INSTITUTE OF LINGUISTICS 1978 ISBN 0 6892 179 3 Murrunh Niyith-niyith Kanhi-ka Da Ngarra Eskimo Wangu-wa, 'These Stories are about the Eskimo People' is a collection of stories in Murrinh-patha (Murinbata). These stories were written by Aloysius Ditin Kungul, Theodora Darranthi Narndu, Majella Pinpirrith Chula and Bert Wuma Muna and illustrated by Aloysius Ditin Kungul at a Creative Writers' Workshop, January 1978 at Port Keats. The workshop was under the direction of Ann Curnow and the book was prepared for publication by Chester and Lyn Street, all of the Summer Institute of Linguistics Australian Aborigines Branch. This book is intended to provide interesting and educational reading material for people lit- erate in Murrinh-patha, a language spoken by approximately 900 Aborigines at Port Keates, Northern Territory. Acknowledgement is given to the Education Department (Aboriginal Study Grants Scheme) who provided financial assistance for the Writers' Workshop; and to the Canadian High Commission, Canberra, who provided the films on the life of the Netsilik Eskimo Indians, upon which these stories have been based. This project was supported by a grant from the Australian Government under the Innovations Programme of the Schools Commission. The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the Schools Commission. This publication was also supported by the Bi-lingual Section of the Department of Educat- ion (N.T. Division). Murrinh Ku Eskimo Ditin Ngubamkardu pithe ku Eskimo da America wangu. Murntak warra-ka da ngarra Yiglu pardipuptha, da nginipunh kanhi-wa mam kanam. Mu marra-ka da thelput warda thathpirr parnapup. Ku-ka ku nan keribu parnammurrk-yu. I darripi-ka nanthi nginipunh kawit i me but pumampatha parnam. I numi-ka ku seal parnammurrk, i nanthi darripi bere ngatha deyida kawit pumampatha parnam. Ku-ka nginipunh kanhi-wa mamnintha kanam. A Story about The Eskimos Aloysius We saw a film about the Eskimo people of America. In the old days the Eskimos used to live in igloos, which looked like this. But today they live in proper houses. They eat caribou meat and use the skin for coats and boots. They also eat seal meat, and its skin too is used for coats. The caribou and the seal look like this. Da-ka da burrburr ngala-wa. Da ngarra theput da matha parnamkadhuk. I dhekdhek-ka ngarra thelput-wa parnamnganamarda, parnamdhekdhek. Ku ngen-ka ku mere mani neki thurranmurrk ku thungku. Pigunu-ka ku ngatin-wa parnammurrk. Ngay-ka mere ngarra kama-ya ngurru da burrburr nginipunh ngangka-yu. Ngay nukun nganiwerrerr nathi burrburr, thelput nukun da matha nganinganamarda. Bere da-ka da school, da church, i da store pirrim pirra. Kardu ngalantharr i kardu muthingka-ka The land of the Eskimo is very cold and so they stay inside their houses. If they want to play games they do this also in a big house. They don't eat cooked meat like we do, but they eat it raw. I don't think I'd like to go to that land where it's so cold. I'd probably be always shivering and I'd have to stay inside all the time. They have a school, church and store. The old murrinh English mere parningerren. Nanthi thay mananthi i parnu-re mananthi, mu nanthi snow nhini da matha dim-yu. Bere. people don't speak English. There are no trees or grass in the land of the Eskimo, but just snow, it's there all the time. Kardu Da Ngarra Burrburr Ngala Parnam Darrnanthi Da murntak nanthi diningarra- mamththa da nagarra kardu Eskimo parnam. Bere da-ka da burrburr-wa kura ice wanku ngubamkardu ngarra nanthi dimmamath-yu. Bere kardu pardemamaththa- ngime-ka kardu yile i kale i kardu wakal. Bere peningime-ka pardedhangime da ngarra thelput da matha pardenganamardadhangime. I kardu mere punganawuy da burrburr ngala wanku i The People who live in the Cold Country Theodora Some time ago a film about the Eskimo people was shown to us. We saw that their country is a very cold place with ice everywhere. The film was about a father, mother and their young daughter. this Eskimo family always stayed inside their house. They didn't go outside because it was too da wurrinitum wanku. I yile ngatha yunganawuy-ka nukuna-ka nanthi banardi nanthi ku darripi wanku, I da ngarra nalili mana-ka yingadharrmuthuk ngarra tharrmu da mana. Da mangini thapak mani nungantum, mu da Eskimo wangu-ka kura ice wanku wurranmabadhay mangini kalakkalak. I da burrburr bere matha wangu pirrim. Bere kardu yile-ka nanthi ku bear mampatha nanthi mgarra tahthpi ku seal thangunu kathu. I nanthi mangini ku bear da matha medha pirri. Mu niguna kardu palngun-ka nanthi ku darripi dilakurrktha kadi nanthi lithpurr mangini kanhi mani. cold and misty. If the father had to go outside he would put on his big coat made from the skin of the caribou which came right down over his legs. Mist which looks like fog was drifting about all the time in that place. The white snow which covers the Eskimos' country looks like thick white clouds, and it is always cold. The father carved a bear from a seal tusk. It was just like a real bear, while his wife scraped an animal skin with a tool like an axe. I bere nukunu kardu nugarn-ka yunganawuy ku-nu warda bewitharra ku dhepdhep-nu. I daniwarl, i nanthi darripi warra ngadha punirara i kun ngen warda punirartal. Bere ku warda pirringemurrkthangime ku lawali-ka ku puninginthararthal du ngatin. I daningemut ngarra wakal peningintha ku ngatin da ngatha dinimurrktha. Bere kale-ka nanthi pi warda denamadha dini ngarra wakal nigunu wediniyethiththa dini. Numi-ka ngubamkardu-ka thamul punarradema-yu. I kardu ngamere pardiyekdhektha da Then the man went out from the house to hunt for food. He would always kill something. First he would skin it and then cut up the meat. They were cutting up the leg of an animal and eating it raw and the mother was giving raw meat to her daughter to eat. Later, the mother was making designs with string and teaching her daughter how to make them. One thing we saw here make was a spear with points. The people even played inside, they didn't go ngarra weyi da ngatha kardu mere punganawurr nhini-ka da burrburr wanku. Bere da neki kama punu pi-ka da mere kama kinhinginipup kardu banhiralal kama warda i kunhite. Mu nekingime-ka da ngarra denturr-wa thanamngime. Da Eskimo-ka da burrburr ngala i kura ice wanku mangini nanthi thapak mani. Bere murrinh-ka nhini - wa ngudampayith. outside because it was so cold. If we went to that country we would not be used to being cold and stiff because we live in a country where it is always hot. But the Eskimos' country is very cold with ice and fog. This is all I have to tell you. Kardu Nugarn Nanthi Kayak Mampatha Pinpirrith Kanhi deyida murrinh numi-yu pithe deida ngubamkardu. Kanhi-ka kardu kigay wakal murrinh nukunu-ka Taktu. I nanthi murrinh nekingime-ka kiniwu, ma pigunu-ka kayak. Bere da-ka marra-re-ka yileyile-ka bangarnurt nanthi lakumin banmardart ngarra lalingkin thangunu. Nanthi-ka ngarra darrimun I danidhakthuktha kadi, I wudawurl ngarra da deyida. Bere yileyile-ka mamna ngarra wakal nukunu, "Thirrangimaritnu ngarra nanthi hanhi mawa thanu-yu." The Boy who made a Kayak Majella Here is another story from a film we saw. This story was about a boy whose name was Tuktu and a canoe, which his people call a kayak. It all started one day when his father found some driftwood washed up onto the beach. He gathered it up and took it back home. He said to his son "You watch me now and see how I will make this kayak." Bere work ngala nimin-ya pardedhangime nanthi nhini da pumewathadhangime parde. Bere kuguk da ngatha work pardedhangime. Bere nanthi lakumin purrkpurrk pingatatthangime ngarra nanthi kayak nhini pumewathadha- ngime parde-yu. Bere nginipunh ngarra nanthi nan pumertngime lakumin-ka nanthi oil ngarra ku seal thangunu pumemardalingime i pimeletngime ngarra nanthi lakumin nhini warda wangu. I parranewewungime ngarra lakumin i pimeletngime. Nhini thangunu-ka kalekale-ka nanthi darripi wudankulk ngarra kura i danikuwektha dini, i kupkup da mana. It was very hard work for them making this kayak and they had to keep at it for a long time. They glued together the driftwood for the kayak frame. Then they held it over boiling seal oil and bent it into a circular shape and planed it off. Then they wet it and finished off the plan- ing. After that the mother soak the seal skins in the water until they were soft. Then they I pimemkamathputhngime ngarra nanthi kayak pubankapakngime I pimelalarrdha- ngime parde ngarra nanth kayak. I pumankarikerdekngme-ka puddankayirr- ngime ngaraa kura warda. I yileyile i wakal nukunu-ka nanthi purrkpurrk pirrimninthamardaputh ngarra kayak. I nungamninthardurr da ngarra numi deyida naninthadha. I kalekale i kardu numi deyida kadinginthadha. I bere murrink nhini-yu. carried them to the kayak and wrapped the skins around the frame. Then when it was all complete they lowered it into the water. The father and his son put the hunting gear in, then they got in and paddled off. The mother and another person stayed behind. That's the end of the story. Murrinh Kanhi-ka Ngudiyithnu-ka Ngarra Pithe Thangunu Dimngarramamath Ku Eskimo-wa Ku-yu Wuma Bere kalekale i yileyile i wakal peningintha dimmamath pithe-yu. Yileyile-ka nanthi dimu ku nan thangunu ku seal. Manganart i pankangkat nanthi saw-re. Bere nanthi warda mewathadha dini. Ku-ka ku bear-wa ku-yu mewathadha dini-yu, ku wakal nukunu nukun. Mu muthingka-ka me but daniwarldha dini me wakal nigunu nukun. This story I'm going to tell is from a film we saw about The Eskimo People Bert this film was about a mother, father and their child. The father had a piece of tusk from a seal, which he had cut up. He then proceeded to carve out a bear for his little daughter. His wife was sewing up some boots for their Yiliyile-ka bere ngatha wangu mewathadha kadi. Mu peningintha-ka ku ngen ku ngatin kadingintharmurrktha. Nhini-ka nukunu warda kadimurrktha. Nhini-ka nukunu warda kadimurrktha ku ngatin deyida, ku ngarra peningintha-dha damngintharimut. Ku thungku-ka denabaththa deyda dini. My yileyile-ka ku ngatin nhini da matha dinimurrktha. Ku thungku-ka kanampart-wa nukunu-yu. Ku ngatin da matha dinimurrktha dantikerdek. I murrinh church warda nagha dini. Da Eskimo-ka da snow ngala i da burrburr ngula, da ngininpunh darrmum mani man wurran-ya. Da neki mani punu daughter, while he worked on the carving. Later, his wife and daughter got some raw meat to eat. He also ate some that the other two had left. His wife also cooked some meat in the fire, but he ate only the raw meat, he wasn't interested in the cooked meat. When he had eaten all the raw meat he went off to church. The land of the Eskimo is very cold and covered in snow, it looks like all sand. If we went pi-ka neki-ka kardu kanhirlung kani ngala nimin-ya. Ku banhiralal warda nhini-yu. Mu pigunu nanthi kawit yithit weyida pubardurdi pumpan, i da yingampunnginipup weyida. I da the warda panthin pumpan. Bere. to that country we'd really feel the cold, we'd probably freeze to death. But those Eskimo people wear very heavy coats and they are used to the cold. They know all about their land. Murrinh Ku Mangurl I Ku Wak Da Eskimo Wangu Wuma Murrinh ngarra pithe thangunu kanhi-yu, murrinh da Eskimo wangu. Ku murrirribe perrkengku dimninthamamath ngarra pithe-yu. Ku-ka mangurl i ku wak. Bere dinininthadhekdhektha dhekdhek ku murnu warra ngadha. Nhini mana-ka ku wak kathu mamna, "Ya, punhipak pi-ya?" mamna. Bere nukunu-ka ku wak wurrinidha nanthi tin manganart nanthi thipmam nhini wangu A Story about the Owl and The Crow Bert This story comes from a film about the Eskimo people. In this film there were two birds, an owl and a crow. These two birds were playing a bone game. Then, when they had finished playing the game, the crow said to the owl, "Hey, how about I paint you up?" So the crow went and got a tin full of black paint dininganamardadha. Bere nukunu-ka kardu pirrinamardamardadha warda kathu. Bere nukunu warra ngadha pamnanginiwup ku mangurl. I mamnarikerdek. Bere bemnungkardu, i mam, "Patha. Nanthi patha thangunu thanngipak. Me but patha kanhi ngampamutnu." Bere bammerdi warda nhini-yu. Bere nukunu-ka kardu kadiwulikirrdha warda. "Nhinhi warda," mamna. Bere nukunu warda wak pamnginiwup. Bere punipaktha warda pirri. Mu nukunu ku wak bere ngatha wangu kadiwulikirrdha. kardu mere tetemam pirridha, wuda. Mu nukunu mangurl nimin-ka kardu le wiye warda and then waited for the owl. The owl was getting himself ready to be painted. The crow painted him. When he had finished the owl looked at himself and said, "Good. Because you have painted me so well I'll give you these nice boots here." Then the crow put on the boots. He was very pleased with them and kept walking around in them. "O.K., it's your turn now," said the owl. So the crow got himself ready. But the crow still kept moving around while he was being painted, he just wouldn't stand still. The owl became tired of this and also his continual showing pirrinadha kathu. I kardu mammardaraki warda. Bere nungamnaku nanthi tin wanku warda ngatha. I dampewu kardu nginipunh ngala warda ngatha. I ku thipmam pana warda ngatha kanam ku wak-yu. Da nhini-re-ku wak-ka ku thipmam pana warda ngatha kanam. Bere. off, so he threw the tin of paint at the crow and it went all over him. That crow was now black all over. And so today, that's the reason why the crow is black. Kardu Wakal Nugarn Marra Bamat Darrnanthi Bere ngay murrinh ngudiyithnu-ka ngarra pithe dimngarramamath kardu da ngarra Eskimo wangu. Bere marra-re dimmama-ka da thelput da ngarra pigunu parnam da Manini ngarra da weyi palyirr mani pana dimekthay. Da-ka nhini-wa da ngarra pardedhangime-yu. I da-ka murrinh-ka da yiglu da thelput nanthi kura ice tetemam thangunu kathu pumampatha parnam. I da-ka da wululuthpe da nhini-yu. Bere kardu-ka pardedhangime-ka yile, A New Baby Boy was Born Theodora I want to tell you a story from a film that was shown to us about the Eskimo people. First of all we saw the house where an Eskimo family was living. It was like a cave with only a small opening. This was where they lived. It is called an igloo and is made from hard ice in the form of a circle. In this family was the father, mother, three i kale, i kardu madinhpuy, kardu pigunu da ngatha I kawu piguna-re. Kardu kale-ka kardu putput deyida kadidha. Bere yile piguna-ka merradha kadi, "Kardu wakal nugarn kama-ya buyngabatnu. Kardu mangini ngay mani paningirdarrupnu kardu kungka paninu. I kardu lurruth ngala purruna mangini ngay mani," mam yile kathu-yu. Bere kale-ka nanthi wardarra nanthi darripi dilakurrk kadi, I nanabirr kadi ngarra wakal marra nigunu-nu. Nanthi darripi ngarra ku keribu thangunu kathu. Ku-ka ku mangini ku puliki mani, mu nukunu-ka nanthi wilmurr mangini nanthi merremenu thay mani kanthin wurran. sisters and their grandmother. The mother was pregnant, and the father kept saying to his family, I think this new baby is going to be a boy. He will grow up like me and be a good hunter and will be strong like I am," he would say. The mother was scraping an animal skin and sewing from it clothes for the new boy. This skin was from a caribou, an animal that looks like a cow, but has horns like branches on a dead tree. Nanthi-ka nhini thangunu kathu-wa nanthi darripi-yu punirara-yu. I nanthi nginipunh wanku I nanthi puninwum ngarra nginipunh pigunu-yu. Bere kardu kale-ka da warda manta warda memngelu. I nigunu-ka murrinh wudanpirrathuk kardu ngarra palngun ngaarra pumamanpi ngarra wakal-te buybatnu-re. Mu yile-ka da kadiyekattha ngadha da ngathparr kathu, 1 kardu madinhpuy-ka punganawurrdha deyida ngadha. Kardu kawi I kardu palngun da matha pardedhangime ngarra nigunu-yu pirapedhangime parde. Bere pirrineyekatthangime, 1 kale-ka Caribou skin is smooth and feels warm on their body when they put it on. The time was close now for the mother to give birth, so she sent for the other women to come and help her with the birth of her baby. The father went off and also the daughters. Only the grand- mother and the women stayed to look after the mother. They waited, then the mother began to have manta warda damrlurturt. I kardu palngun numi-ka kanawup ngarra pangkin kathu mamkangayit. I kardu numi-ka kanawup kumparra warra I nanthi darripi-ka manta ngangka da ngatha damnginthardarrup. Mu niguna-ka kardu dinidha, I wakal-ka bamat warda wakalnugarn nugarn. I kawu-ka du binthepup le patha warda dinidha. Bere kardu ngamere-ka puddawurl I pubamkardu warda wakal marra nhini-yu. Bere yile nukuna-ka pangantuy I kanardi ngarra da thelput da weyi. I bamkardu wakal marra ngarra nukunu I le patha ngala nimin-ya kadidha-ka. I da le ngala thathpirr kadidha-ka wakal nugarn pains more frequently, so one of the women sat behind her holding her while another sat in front. They held up the skins closely to cover her. She sat there, and then a baby boy was born. When the grandmother heard his crying she was very happy. Then some of the people came back to the house and they saw the new baby. His father also returned and came into the house and saw the new born baby, he was very happy. But became overjoyed when he found out that he had a son. thathpirr bamnabat. Bere murrinh-nu warda parrandharrpu ngarra kawu nukunu. I nigunu kathu-ka murrinh panparl-ka Yangkuti, murrinh ngarra kangkurl nukunu. Bere kardu wakal nhini-ka wudanarurturttha kadi, i mi warda mi dhepdhep pantet. Bere yile i kale-ka nanginthardurr mi-nu wardu ngarra store ngarra mi dim kathu. I kanamnginthakut i wudamnginthawurl ngarra da deyida. Bere kale nukunu-ka mi warda damnadhudhuk i kunungingki kadipirrdha dini. Mu kawu nukunu kathu mamnge ngarra kale, "Mi pana-ka mi wiye-wa, mere The father then asked the child's grandmother what his name would be. She told him that his name would be Angotee, the same as his grandfather. As the baby grew and began to eat solid food, his father and mother went to the store to buy some food for him. They purchased some and returned home again. His mother mixed up some porridge for him, but he didn't like it much. His grandmother said to his mother, "That food is no good, he marda mart. Mu patha-ka mi ngarra neki mani thurranmurrk i ku ngen thanamut." Bere kale-ka ku ngen daninakupkup i ngarra thathpi nigunu kathu daninamut-yu. Bere nukunu-ka wudanturturt kardu ngala wardu wurrinidha i kadidha. I kale nukunu-ka yibimpup warda. Mu yile nukunu-ka palngun marra deyida bammardi. Bere nukunu-ka bammardi deyida kardu madinhpuy. I kadinginthadha i kardu wakal warda kanthinginthadha kadi. Bere kardu warda parnampunkupartngime ngarra yile i kale-yu. Bere punnungamkardurrngime da ngathparr warda wangu. Bere. doesn't like it. Good food is what we have always eaten, you give him some meat." So his mother chewed up some meat for him and passed it from her mouth into his mouth. When this little boy had grown into a young man his mother died. His father remarried. Later Angotee was married also. They lived with his family until they too had a baby. Then not long after they left his family and went a long way away to another place to live. Da Ngarra Burrburr Ngala Pinpirrith Murtak warra nanthi pithe diningarramamaththa ngarra pithe kanhi ngubamardu-ka kardu kalekale i yileyile i kardu mamay peningime. Bere da ngarra da numi deyida wangu kanhi-yu, da-ka nanthi-ka nginipunh thapak mani wurrinitumtha i bamam ngala nimin-ya. Ma kardu-ka nanthi ngarra burrburr nukun nanthi ngala ngala pubanardurdidha pardi. Bere kalekale-ka ku ngen ku lawali The Country that is Cold Majella We saw a film about a man, his wife and their child. They lived in another country where white mist which looks like fog drift about all the time and where snow cover the ground. These people wear very thick coats because it is such a cold place. The mother brought into the house some raw kanthinurdi, i nayip-te meyarrarrdha dini i ku ngen ngatin kadingintha- murrktha. I nhini thangunu-ka yileyile warda kadimurrktha ku nhini-yu. Bere nhini thangunu-ka yileyile-ka murrinh church warda nadha dini. I ngarra murrinh thangunu darntal-ka murrinh deyida puddanayiththa pardi, i mi peka puddiniwidhaneme parde. I wudawurl ngarra da deyida. I yileyile i kardu mamay-ka peningintha-ka bimnginthayepup i mimnginthayerr ngarra window i bamnginthangkardu nanthi aeroplane ngala mi dhepdhep kanthirradha wurrini i meat. It was the leg of an animal which she had cut into pieces and she and her daughter were eat- ing it. The father also ate some of the meat. When he had finished eating he went off to church. Then after the church service, he and some other men stayed on for a bit of a talk together and a smoke. Later he returned home. Later that day the father and his daughter heard the noise of a plane and looked out of the window. They saw the cargo plane coming into land. nanthi purrkpurrk wangu. I kalekale-ka nanthi ngarra darripi thanipi thangunu me but peningime mewathadha kadi. I ngarra punniwekpektha-ka mere ngarra me-yu burrburr pirridha, wuda da matha, nhini-ka denturr da matha parnam. I da-ka da burrburr bere matha wangu kanam. I bere matha wangu yibimtumdarri da burrburr nginipunh kanhi-ka mere ngarra kaninhengime. Bere murrinh-yu. The mother was making some boots for them all from skins so that when they went out walking on the cold ground their feet were kept warm. That place is cold all the time and always misty. But here we don't have that type of weather. That's the end of the story.