In the Dreamtime Buwarraja, the Great Spirtual Ancestors sang, shaped the land, gave birth to the land, the people and all living things. The Ancestors left the songs and stories in the land, the sacred sites and rock art, teaching the people to be the custodians, to always care for the land, the plants, birds, animals, insects and each other.
Approximately 180km west of Katherine, showing four seasons. Wardaman land runs from the upper reaches of the Flora River in the north to Scott Creek in the northwest, south along the major waterways towards the Victoria river in the west and to Romula Knob in the east.
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• Wardaman Land: Laglan
View Wardaman traditional land from Victoria River Gorge to Menngen Station to Willeroo Station to Mt. Gregory and back to Victoria River Gorge. Meet some of the kids at Menngen and see the Creation Story in the rocks and in the land.
• Peaceful Dove Rockhole: Golorog-ya
Yidumduma shares the story and Songline connected to his mother’s Dreaming Wurrgleni country at Golorog-ya, Peaceful and Diamond Dove Rockhole, Jowarrin, on neighbouring Willeroo Station. The beautiful basalt rocks are the Dove People who sang, danced and created this special spring. Yidumduma last visited this sacred site in 1957. There is no road to this site and it is remarkable how Bill was able to find this after 50 plus years, on this 232,000 hectare, 600,000 acre property.
• Songlines & Peace
The Songlines zig-zagged through the Wardaman country uniting all the clan and totem groups and then travelled across tribal boundaries linking all tribal and languages groups together right across the continent. This by Law meant the clans shared ceremony and language, shared the land and water. This in turn meant the nieghbours shared ceremony and language, shared the land and water. According to Yidumduma this promoted respect and peace throughout the land.
• Mapping the Country
Yidumduma pointing out his landscape to Jonas Doctor from Garnawala, giving us a glimpse of his vast memory map of his land that connects to the Creation Story, the rock art, songs, and all the natural world.
• Walking in: Gornbun-ya Site
Yidumduma teaching his nephew Jonas Doctor as they walk into Gornbun-ya Whistling Kite art site. Here Yidumduma uses Kriol to talk to Jonas, and Wardaman language to talk with the Ancestors as they approach.
• Whitefella Contact Story
Severe conflict with Aboriginal people throughout Australia in the early days of European settlement has been well documented. The Wardaman people were well regarded for their resistance. Here Yidumduma Bill Harney shares a story with Ernie Dingo, passed on to him by the Elders around the campfires as he was growing up. Segment used with permission from CAAMA Production series Talking Languages with Ernie Dingo. www.caama.com.au/productions
• Changing Land 1
Yidumduma discussing climate changes he has witnessed on his traditional land, the seasons, rainfall, flood, drought, and earthquake connected to the Ancestor Rainbow. He talks of the loss of the traditional rainmakers and the effect of people walking on the moon. He talks of the spiritual on the land being all mixed up now and causing “mischief” among the people, causing everything to “get out of hand”.
• Changing Land 2: Floods & Crocs
Katherine River has severely flooded Katherine town in 1957, ’74, ’98 and 2006. Yidumduma discusses the frequency of these devastating floods and the increasing numbers of crocodiles in his country and conservation efforts. He explains these changes from his cultural and Spiritual understanding and how we are not following the Law and “Caring for Country” proper.
