Two Sisters

by Ngarta Jinny Brent

  Wali pakulkanyala ngajukura purrku jarna ngurrawarlanyjurra, ngajukura lamparr marnal yartajpani. Kumantawarlany marnal wurna jakarnkarranya pukanyja kurlirrara tumaj palu jarntuwarnti kirrarnani. Lamakujirla ngarnapanyalu. Ngajukura purrku warrarni manyjarr, yuntala marnal yanani. Parrijaa manga ngumujarra mapirri pajarrapinya kangani. Ngurra marnal juntumani kaparn jiljinga.

  Kumantajarti marni parla purrkungu marranyanjawurlu. ‘Parri kangku marnanta ruwa, kalparrku pajin warntawu.’ Purrku ngajukura warrarni kirrarnani manyjarr.

  ‘Ya,’ marni parla parringu. Kalparrkukura kirlingirri pila parlipinya. ‘Parri, takurryantarla kurrapa!’ Parri takurrpinya, karlarnani parla, kurrapala pajani kalparrkurlu. ‘Warawu, warawu, karrkarr paja pajani.’ Nungujartijarrinyala. Wali purrkungula manya warntarnani lukangajangka pajajinyangu kalparrkuwarnti. Kamparnurlala pila ngarnani kuyi.

  Kanarlanywarnti palu jarntuwarnti wartangurni pirriyani layi purrkujaa marninwarnti murrkurn nyanayirla jiljinga. Nyanartijangka kumantawarlany marnalpinya wanyjani wartangurni, layiwarlany mimijarti jurumanani.

  Marni marnalurla, ‘Yanku ngarlipa kurlirrara.’

  Parnanyju marni mimijawurlu, ‘Ngajirta. Wanyjarrku pajanta minyayirlarni. Lama marna kirrarnanku.’

  Parringu parla marni, ‘Kangku marnantalu ngamaji mapirri.’ ‘Ngajirta, kaparn ngarna wanti.’ Parringu parla lungani mapirri kangupurru.

  Kurlirrara marnalu yanani. Pirriyani marnal Jukurirrirla karuwarrarla. Yutantinyala marnal ngalunga. Kamparnani marna kakaji. Nyanyala ngajukurarlu purrkungu wangkarna mananga kirrarnjangka lamparn. Marni parla parriwu, ‘Parri, pungku pajin wangkarna lamparn.’ Laparnkarranya manyanta parri. ‘Parakujiwu manyanta mananga, pungku pajin wangkarna.’ Parringu pinyala manajawurlu. Kamparnurlala pila ngarnani.

  Nyanartikarrarni marnani parla ngajukurarlu ngumparnarlu, ‘Parri, kangku pajarrarnanta kurlirra tikirr jilawarntikarti. Wali marna mimi wantinya minyayirla mayarurla.’

  Parringu parla marni, ‘Ngajirta, kayan ngarna yanta kurlirra, marri pajirla.’

  Yani parla parri ngarpuwarlanyku.

  Marni parla, ‘Yirna , yangka pajapila kurlirra tikirr kangku.’

  Purrku kulkuru kirrarnani.

  Parringu parla jurtungu marnani, ‘Kangku pajapila kurlirra.’

  Jangkumani manyanta purrkungu. ‘Ngajirta. Kayan nganta yanta. Lama manta kirrarnanku minyayirla. Yarnta ngarta mimijarri.’

  ‘Ya. Wali pawu. Julawu marnarla ngajukurawu Pijajiwu. Ya.’

  Tikiyanungurla parla jularni, ‘Yangka parlipanya marrkukani ngarpungu.’

  Pijajirlu parla marni, ‘Nganapurru manurla jularni, parri? Wurnajal pajarrarnanta kangkarla.’

  ‘Ya. Wali pawu.’

  Marni parla Pijajirlu, ‘Lama parlipa kirrarnanku minyayirla.’

  Nyanartijangka marnalu yanani kakarra, watimilin pila parlipinya kaparn. Ngarnani pila kurnkawarnti murrjurl, yarnta purlkapurlka pukarr.

  Nyanartijangka kurlirrara marnal yani, pirriyanila marnalunangurla warrkammayinwarntirla Lakpuwarla. Ngajukura ngapurlu mapirri kirrarnani nyanayirla. Kumantajarti marnapanyal parakujirni turakja Jujipuwakarti.

  Wali marnal warrkammarnani nyanayirla larlilarlirla, larlilarlijangka parrangajarrinya. Nyanartikarrarni ngajukura ngapurlu mimijangka marlaljarrinya. Lungani marnarla pajanurla. Wurnajarrinya marnalu Jarraparnkarti.

  Nyanartijangka marnalunya piyirnwarntiwarlany parakujirni rijijkarti turakja yawarta nyangupurru ngurrpangu. Paanilapattu pa turayipimkujirnani turak. Juntumanani palu martuwarrarla kankarnimarrangu kartiyawarntirlu ngurra yukarnupurru. Nganampa piyirnwarnti marnal kaniny martuwarrarla walyarrarla yukarnani paja Jarraparnjangka jaa, Pamarrjartijangka jaa, Kurungaljangka mapirrirni. Kumantajarti marnal yanani yawarta nyangupurru pupurulaparnjangka piyirnjartijaa kartiyajarti.

  Layimarri kumantajarti walyarrarla pirriyani layi marnin kartiya. Nyanya manya yapawarnti nyumukanujangka. Rayin nyanyala palu kartiya, laparnkarranya palu.

  Japirryinya paja, ‘Nganakura palu nyanarti yapawarnti?’ Ngaju marna kulkuru karrinyani, kayan ngarna pinakarrirla Yingkilij. Ngajukurarlu Pingarrikurarlu ngamajirlu paja marlamani.

  Marni parla, ‘Nyanarti palu Jarraparnjangkawarnti yapawarnti.’

  ‘Nyuntukura ngangulu nyanartiwarnti yapawarnti?’

  ‘Ngajirta. Jukunakurawarnti palurla. Nyantungu manya ngampurrikarralany.’

  Marni paji, ‘Kangku ngarnanya kuulkarti yapawarnti jalaaliny?’

  Ngaju marna kulkuru karrinyani. Kartiya nyanarti wurnala yani. Marni paji wartangurn, Pingarrikurarlu ngamajirlu, ‘Yapawarnti nganunya yipawu kuulkarti?’

  ‘Julawu marnarla ngajukura purrku,’ marni marnarla.

  Yani marna, marni marnarla purrkuwu, ‘Yipawu ngarlinya yapawarnti kuulkarti?’

  Ngajukurarlu purrkungu paji marni, ‘Ngajirta. Marri nganya yap kangka ngurrawarlanykarti. Martarnanku parlinya lama. Ranyjikujiwu manunya, nyaka nganya.’

  Nyanartijangka marnanya mawulpirrirla ranyji yutukani kitangarni nyanarti marnin yap yani.

  Yarnta pinakarrinyani marna Ngarpukura wangki wulyu nyanartirla rijijja. Kurnkurnwarntirlu purlkawarntirlu marnapangulu wangki wulyu jularnani Ngarpukura yiniwarntirlu Malyapuka, Purrkuli, Jinakarli, Wirrinmarra.

  Nyanartikarra marna pinapinakarrinyani kunyungurla palu wulyu wangki jularnana. Wali rijijjangka marnal Jarraparnkarti tikiyani.

  Julawu marnanyirrangu minyarti wangki. Kula pajarranya wanyjani piyirnngajirtarlarni jilawarntirla. Nyanartijangka pajarra rukarnurla warrkammarnani mayarurla ngangangu. Nyanartijangka karrpirlmarnila marnapilangu pirriyanujangkawu. Jularniliny pajilu minyarti wangki. Wirriyajarrinyala marnapilangu. Yanila pajarrapilangu Kurangalkarti nyangupurrujaa lungupurru. Kujarti palu ngunangani.

  Wartangurni pila pirriyani kulijarti pirlajarti. Kurlata, kuturu, karli, mukurru nganapartu nganapartu pilanya kanya. Wali pilanya warntarni wulyuwulyu. Yarnta pilanyanangu kurtkarrinya wanjijangkawu. Nukarni manya pinya, kurriny pinya jarnmarni, ngajuwumipa marnarlanyanta wanji. Yukangal pa yirrpyirrpkarra yani pukanyja pukanyja ranyji rayin pikajarrinyurla.

  Wamarn kitpungani jilawarntirlal. Walimpawarlany wurnajarrinya kayili. Jumu parlipinya ngapa. Walila kirrarnani kitangarni ngunyarri manyanta pirriyani lanurlakanujangka limijarti. Pirriyani pilanyanta kuliparijarra wartangurni. Kajaluwarlanyparni marlaljarrinya ngajukura ngunyarri jamurn pila pirriyani nyanartijarra kuliparijarra.

  Nyanya pinya, marni parlanyanu muntanga, ‘Jamulu marnanyan pika yungku.’ Wali, marni pilangu ngajukurarlu mantirrirlu, ‘Ngajirta nganpila lanta. Ngajukura paji mantirri. Wanyjarra pila wanji. Ngajirta nganpila lanta. Wanyjarra pila wanji yawiyi.’ Marni pilangu mantirrirlu, ‘Ngajirta nganpila pungka.’ Nyanartijangka pila wanyjani wanji, mapirrikujirni pinya.

  Kayili palu yani. Pinakarrinya palunya purlumanu murumarnujangka. Parayipirrirla, ngapanga palunya nyanya karrinyujangka kujangkurrajarra. Marni pilanyanangu, ‘Tinylapanyjalurla wamarn’ Yangka palu jatajatalani rayin. Nyanyaliny palunya purlka wunjarti. Kulijarrinyala manyanangu layiwarlany, kanarlany mapirrirni. Pinyala pilanya. Nyanartijangkarlu pilanyanangu kulijarrinya.

  Kumantajarti rakarrarla palurla tikirr laparni, lanila palu kaniny walyarrarla ngapanga nyanarti purlumanu. Kamparnurlala palu ngarnani. Piyirnwarnti palu wamarn laparni yawartajarti mayarukarraji, rukukani palunya walyarrarla, warntarni palunya. Lunganila palu karrarta. Warntarni palunya, kanyala palunya mayarukarti. Majawuliny palurla marni. Martarnani palupinya nganpayijarra nyanartijarra kaninykaniny, limpawula palurla yiparni majanga. Kanyala pinya limpajartikarti. Nyanayirla pinya martarnani jayilla layiwu yitilal.

  Wartangurn palunya nyantujarrakurawarnti marurrpinya, japirrmani palupinya marninkujarra, ‘Wanyjarrajangka manpila nyurrajarra?’ Ngarpu parlanyan layingu jularni yini Maruwarnti. Kanarlanyju parlanyan ngarpu yini jularni Kirikarrajarti. Wali nginyjirrikani palupinya jarntujarra. Kanarlanywarnti kuliparijarrakura ngajirta palunya nginyjirrikarrarla.

  Warntarnila palunya ngumparnawarntirlu kurntalwarnti kuliparijarrakurawarnti.

  Wali warrkam palunya yinya nyantujarrakurawarnti mayarurla nyanarti
rla Kurungalla. Wali.

  Nyanartijangka marnalu pinapinakarrinya mayarupurru, ‘Minyarti pa martuwarrarla mayaru ngapakurarla.’ Nyanartila marnalpakulkanya pulparrkarti mayaru nyanayirla Jukurirrirla.

  Kujartikarra marnanya martarni yapawarnti. Kurrinywarlany pila wuujpilngurnipakul palkangajarrinya, parri kajalurnjangka, parriwarlany wartangurni. Kurrinywarlany pila wuujpilla palkangajarrinya parrijaa manga. Nyanartijangka palu purlkajarrinya.

  Nyanartijangkarlu palu mayaru Jukurirrirla ngartakpani kuul yapapurru pinarriyungupurru. Yapawarnti marnalunya martarnani kuulla, ngajukurawarnti mapirrirni parrijarrajaa manga. Warrkammarnani marnalu nyanayirlarni mayarurla lama yitilalwarnti paja. Nyanartijangka ngarpukurala marnapangulu jularnani wangki wulyu Ngarpukurajartiwarntirlu yangka palu piyirnwarntirlu palu wanyjani luwu purrkuwarntikura.

  Layimarri marnalu yani yitilal Pirturayikarti Ngarpukurakarti. Ngajujaa purrku ngajukura marnalu yani, ngajukura ngamajiwarlany, ngumparnanyankurajaa nyantukura rimpi mapirri marnalu yani. Kaparn marnalu yukarni ngurrajarra kurriny. Kumanta marnalu turtapinya, nyanya marnalu kuparlaparla kurungal martuwarra.

  Marni marnapangu ngurturru, ‘Nyapartujarriwu parlipa, ngapakata purlkajinyangu. Kayan ngarlipa jawumanyja, yurranti ngarlipa ngapanga purlkanga. Kalukuwarnti kutakuta kangarnilu. Karrpiwu parlipa mananga kalpiya.’ Wali lapartwantinya marnalu kankarnimarrangu kalukurla. Kayirnikayirni marnapanyapila jawukanya piyirnjarrarlu.

  Yanila marnalu Pamarrjartikarti. Nyanayirla ngurra marnalunyanangurla yukarni jarntuwarntirla. Kumantawarlanyja marnalu jakarnkarrakanya pirturayikarti. Kulirnikulirni marnalurla pawupawumarnani pawutku martuwarrarla. Kayan ngarnalu tirriny yanta ngapangal purlkangal. Ngajirta parla jarrnga warntarri ngunarla ngurtiwu, jarlu pa ngunangani nguwangal jiminj. Jarlu marnapanyalu kangani puwutjawurlu ngapangal purlkangal. Kayilungujarti marnapangu karrinyani purlka ngurti mijinjangka. Kayilila marnapanya kanya mijinkarti. Nyanayirla marnalu wali kirrarnani lama niyirnparni yaliti.

  Nyanartijangka marnalu wulyuwulyu warrkammarnani Jukurirrirla. Walimpawarlany kulila palunyan pinya ngurturrwarntirlu kijinngurni. Nyanartijangka marnapangu kulijarrinya majangu. Marrarnani marnapanya. Wali marni palurlanyan piyirnwarntirlu, ‘Wurna parlipa yanku. Wanyjarrku parlipa nyanarti maja. Nyantungu parlanyan warrkammarnanku jintanga.’

  Nyanartijangka rajin marnapanya yinya majangu. Kanarlanywarnti palu ngurtijarti laparni rijijkarti. Nyanartila palu lamajarrinya Pijrayirla. Kanarlanywarntirlu palu warrarni warrkammarnani. Ngajarra pajarranya yiparni Mitakarti. Wartangurni palu yani Pirturayikarti. Kirrarnanila palu kalikujartipakul. Mayaru pa ngajirta ngunarla Kurnangkijaa Mintirarri. Tuwa nguja kayili mijinta yarnta kakarra papilikajja. Mirlimirli palu warntarnani apijjangka kayili kapumankura, kanganila palu mijintuwakarti warntarnupurru rajin.

  Warrkammarnani pajarra Mirtanga, nyanartijangka pajarrapakulyani tawunkarti Purulakarti. Nyanayirla marnalu niyirnparni warrkammarnani. Yapawarntikura kuluwujwarnti marnalunyanangu wajimmarnani. Ngajukurarlu purrkungu pa warrkammarnani tiijinta Yitanga. Marriwarnti pajarra warrkammarnani. Walimpala pajarra tikiyani Pirturayikarti niyirnparni.

  Jarlu marna ngajirta ngarpu pinakarrinyantarla jiljinga. Yarr marna nganga ngunangani. Ngajirta marnarla pinarri ngarpukurawu wangkiwu. Jalarra marna ngarpu pinakarrilany. Wali Ngarpungu paja tilingakujirni mungangajangka wampalkarra kitpunganjangka. Ngarpu paji marulu, kayan ngarnajin wanyjarra. Wulyu marnajin parlipinya.

  Wali marna warrkammarnani Walmajarri ngajukura wangki. Pinarrijarrinya marnarla ritimkujirnupurru wangki Walmajarri mirlimirlirlajangka. Yarnta marnarla pinarrijarrinya lanupurru. Nyanartijangka marnal Ngarpukura wangki kurnakkujirnani Yingkilijjangka Walmajarrikarti. Nyanartirni wangki marnal jirrkirlikanani. Kajittala marna wangki ritimkujirnani. Jalimkujirnanila marnalunya kajitwarnti piyirnwarntiwarlanyja Ngarpukura wangki pinakarrinyupurru.

  Yarnta marnanya pinarriyungani kartiyawarnti Walmajarri jarluwarlany, wali wangki kutakuta.

  Kanarlany wangki, marna warrkammarnani Karrayilirla kuul. Karrayili kuulla marnarla pinarrijarrinyani Yingkilijku. Wangki marna lanani, yarnta marna ritimkujirnani, nampala marna nginyjirrikanani. Maparnanila marna mirlimirlirla ngurrara jilawarntijaa jumuwarnti. Yarnta jiwariwarntijaa jiljiwarnti marna pirtimanani lamparnlamparnpaliny purlkapurlkala. Nyanartijangka Mangkajarlala marna piyintingkujirnani purlkapurlka. Yiparnani marna pamarrpurru ngajukura piyinting.

  Walimpawarlany marna marri yani wupajiyi Liyankarti. Waanya marna purlka ngurrara piyinting. Wulyumarni marnarla nyangupurru ngurrawarlany ngurrpangu.

  Jalarrawarlany yapala marnanya pinarriyungany. Wulyumalany marnarla. Pulurujaa kuyi jinamanupurru marnanya pinarriyungany. Yarnta ngana kuyi yini, kakajijaa kapi ngapakarraji martuwarrakarrajiwarnti. Kakaji pa pirntirrikarraji. Wali kanarlanywarnti kuyiwarnti mapirrirni lamparnlamparn. Minyartiwarnti marnanya pinarriyungany yapawarnti.

  Jalarrawarlany marna pinapinakarrilany tanyjingal. Minyarti pajirla purlka ngajukurakarti ngurrarakarti tikirryanupurru kurlirrara. Jalarrawarlany marna kapumankura wangki pinakarrilany. Ngurra nyanarti parla nyantukura kapumankura. Nyanartijangka marnalu yirrikanana piyirnwarntirlupakul yanungurla kirrarnupurru ngurrararla.

  Kanarlanyju piyirntu palu nyangany marri. Piyirntu jilakarrajirlu nyangany marnpa. Piyirntu mayarukarrajirlu palu nyangany pulparr ngapangajirta. Purlka manyanangurla jiljijaa parapara. Piyirntu jilakarrajirlu palu nyangany kujarti. Purlka parlanyanta jiljijaa parapara. Pulurupartu pulurupartu palu nguniny jilawarntirla paja. Ngajirta ngapa langa wangartawurrra ngarnupurru. Wulyu pa jarungkurra ngunangupurru. Minyarti wangki palunyanangu jilakarrajirlu yirrikanana mayarukarrijiwu piyirnku.

  Wali ngajukura wangki kutarni marna pujumani.

  THE WALMAJARRI DIASPORA

  When Walmajarri people left the desert, different groups headed out in different directions, more or less according to the proximity of their homelands to a particular settlement, station or mission. Those who lived to the west came out at La Grange, those further south of west, at Jigalong. Eastern Walmajarri moved towards the stations or Catholic missions at Balgo and Billiluna. The central and central-southern groups headed north in stages, eventually to come out at the cattle and sheep stations of the Fitzroy Valley. South of Walmajarri country lay more desert, the domain of other language groups, whose history was similar, yet different in particulars. These people too were drawn or forced into scattered settlements closer to their own homelands.

  Each of the destinations in the Walmajarri diaspora lies in the country of a different language group: Nyangumarta at La Grange, Martu at Jigalong, Jaru at Ringer’s Soak, Nyikina at Noonkanbah. Mulan and Billiluna, among others, lie within Walmajarri country. Fitzroy Crossing, the small town where Jukuna and Ngarta’s family eventually settled, along with the many other people who had worked on cattle stations, is Bunuba country. While the Bunuba people have perforce accepted the presence of Walmajarri, Nyikina and many other groups as settlers, squatters or refugees on their land, they remain its true custodians and owners. Bunuba people’s rights to make decisions about their own country are not disputed by the other language groups, always, of course, discounting the white people, who make it their business to mind everyone else’s. Nevertheless, even after two generations, Walmajarri people remain in Fitzroy Crossing as displaced persons on other people’s land. For this reason, if for no other, they cling to the memory of their country in the sandhills. There are other reasons, of course: reasons of tradition, of sentiment, of culture.

  Living outside their country was one thing for Ngarta and Jukuna’s generation, whose identity as desert people was assured. But for their children and grandchildren, as for those of other desert peoples, there was no such certainty. They grew up knowing they were Walmajarri but without knowing Walmajarri country. They did not learn about the sandy desert that had nurtured the countless generations of their ancestors, but about the savanna grasslands to which they did not truly belong. Most were taught hunting by their parents, but the river became the focus of their outdoor lives. Though the older people maintained some ritual life, muc
h of it had been linked to specific events and places in the desert and they no longer had opportunities to perform many of their former ceremonies.

  This brief summary of the changes to which the desert people were exposed does not take account of the even more pervasive effects of European culture. White people imposed their language, education, religion, economy and control on all who came within their ambit. The first generation of Walmajarri settlers, as they grew older, saw their children and their grandchildren growing up in a world very different from their own.

  Until the mid-1980s there had been no way for most desert people to get back to their homelands. It was no longer practicable to go on foot. Not only had people lost the habit of walking for hundreds of miles, but no one was now living in the sandhills or awaiting their return. The society that had thrived there just a few decades before had vanished. Over the thirty or forty years since they had left, people had adapted to the money economy, though they remained on its bottom rung; their children attended schools and were growing up in a different culture, and to think about returning to their former life as full-time hunters and gatherers was not realistic. Nevertheless, ties to country remained powerful. Walmajarri people belonged and continue to belong to Walmajarri country as to nowhere else on Earth.

  A few desert people made visits back to country during the 1970s. Small groups travelled in the company of anthropologists, on whom they were dependent for four-wheel-drive transport, and mining companies occasionally flew a senior person over the sandhills to check that proposed explorations would not encroach on significant sites. However, during the mid-1980s Walmajarri and other desert people started to go back to country in large numbers. Several circumstances made this possible; first among these was the activity of the mining and exploration companies during the seventies and eighties, which had driven seismic lines, as wide as roads and straight as spears, deep into the arid lands formerly almost unexplored by white people. Then there was the growing freedom of Aboriginal people to make their own decisions. Although people were turned off stations in the 1970s and few found other employment, they received unemployment benefits or pensions and some families pooled their money and started to own cars. Concurrently with these developments, and partly as a result of them, the outstation movement was in full swing; since the early 1970s extended families from various language groups had been moving away from their adoptive towns and settlements and setting up small encampments, known as outstations, on or close to their own country.