Dhuwal dhäwu Gutjangalaŋawuy

Introduction from Gutjan’s Märi’mirriŋu
(Maternal Grandmother/ Great-Aunt)

This book is one output from a research project called Ŋuthanmaram djamarrkuḻiny' märrma'kurr romgurr: Growing up children in two worlds. Gutjan and her family participated in a longitudinal community-initiated study of Yolŋu children's development. Children and families were videoed engaging in everyday activities over six years. Families and other community members participated in interviews. Family members and the research team worked together to analyse the information gathered. All families have given their permission for images and recordings to be used in this talking book.

Please see www.growingupyolngu.com.au for more information.

Listen in Yolŋu Matha:

I am Garrutju, Gutjan’s Märi (maternal grandmother). This is a story about how Gutjan grew up.

From when she was little, she was learning language and how to communicate with other children and adults. We, her grandmother and grandfather and all our family, are very close to Gutjan. I speak to her with strong language. I speak also in her Märi language, Golpa, and in her mother language, and in her own language – who she is. I speak Gumatj to identify her, that she’s a Gumatj girl. This is how we, grandparents, we are being with the kids all the time and teaching them – how they are learning - to be strong in her culture and language and learning to be independent.

… I’m encouraging her parents to take her to school every day. With adults and grandparents for support, she learnt to achieve something for her future, to have a bright future. I’m very proud of Gutjan. I’m hearing good stories about what she’s doing in school … she’s an intelligent girl and she’s learning very fast.

Communication is very strong towards her, her surrounding friends and family. When I see her with them, I can see her future, what sort of teenager she will be. With a strong education and strong knowledge and her skills.

… This book is a memory of her journey – of her journey to be a college woman later on in future! Through sharing her story we hope that other people, including the government, will see how we educate our Yolŋu children. That we, as human being family, are there for children like Gutjan. That’s my story.

Listen in Yolŋu Matha:

Dhuwal Gutjan ga marŋgithirr gurruṯu

Dhuwal dhäwu Gutjanpuy. Nhaŋu yaku mala Munubilil, Gurritjbal, Mamandjilna, Rrimbu, Balaŋu, Gupurriŋu, Yiŋi ga Batjulu. Ŋunhi ŋatil Gutjan 4 months old mirr, ŋayi gan marŋgithin gurruṯuw malaw. Christina nhanŋu Balandakurr yäku. Bäpurru nhanŋu Gumatj. Nhanŋu waŋarr bäru. Wäŋa nhanŋu Bäwaka.

Listen in English:

This is a story about Gutjan. Her names are Munubilil, Gurritjbal, Mamandjilna, Rrimbu, Balaŋu, Gupurriŋu, Yingi, and Batjulu. They all have meanings.
Gutjan has been learning about her kinship connections since she was a little baby. When she was 4 months old she already knew her family.
Her English name is Christina. Her surname is Burrawaŋa. Her bäparru (clan group) is Gumatj. Her totem is bäru (crocodile). Her homeland is Bäwaka.

Yolŋu Matha

English

Listen in Yolŋu Matha:

Gutjan ga waŋa ḏäl dhäruk

Gutjan has strong language skills. When she was a little baby we talked to her all the time about her family and hunting and fishing and everything. She liked to look at our face and mouth and listen and respond by smiling and trying to talk back. When she turned 1 her language was already strong. She didn’t use much baby language but she talked with adult language from when she was a little child. When she was 2, 3 and 4 she already talked like she was grown up.

First she learned her galay'mirriŋu (cousin) language – Djambarrpuyŋu because it is the most common language used in this community. She can listen to and understand Gälpu (clan) language Dhäŋu – it is her waku (children's) and Märi (maternal grandmother's) language. Gutjan talks using Dhäŋu to her grandfather, Ŋathi. Gutjan started to pick up English more when she was 4 or 5. She is learning English from her adopted Balanda (non-Indigenous) family and at preschool and school.

Waŋany ŋayi ŋuli ga Gutjanydja dhäruknydja ḏäl. Ga ŋunhi ŋayi yan yothuny napurrunydja ŋuli waŋa dhäwu lakaram, maranhuganhapuy ga räku'nhapuy ga wiripu wiripu mala. Ga yothuny ŋayi dhuwal yindi djäl buku-ruŋanmaranharaw. Bili ŋayi ŋuli ga nhäma buku ga dhurrwara ga ŋama ŋayi ŋuli ga rirrakay napurruny. Bala ŋayi Gutjandhuny buku-bakmaran waŋan ŋuli marrtji.
Dhuŋgarrany nhanŋu nyumukuḻi yurru bala ŋayi ŋuli ga ḏäl nha dhäruk waŋany. Ga ŋurruny dhärukku ŋayi marŋgithirr nhanŋugiyingalaŋuw galay'mirriŋuw dhärukku Djambarrpuyŋuy. Ga gaŋga ŋayi marŋgi nhanŋugalaŋuw waku'mirriŋunydja dhärrukku Gälpunydja.

Listen in Yolŋu Matha:

Gutjan ga marŋgithirr gurthaw djämaw

Gutjan is learning skills for when she grows up. She is using technology – the lighter – and she’s handling it very carefully. She is really close to her grandfather while she is learning to light the fire – he is keeping her out of danger. This kind of learning is important for when she grows up. When she grows up she will learn from the adults about how to make fire from a special tree - that way you don’t need lighters or matches. Gutjan will be able to cook for herself and her family in the future and she is learning hunting and cooking through Yolŋu ways of learning. She is lighting the fire with a lighter in this video and listening to the adults talk about the miyupunu (turtle) that they are going to cook. Now that we are writing this book, Gutjan is six years old and she knows how to light the fire to keep away mosquitoes and midgies.

Gutjan’s Ŋathi (grandfather) is teaching her words about fire, in 2 languages - Djambarrpuyŋu and Gälpu Dhäŋu. Her grandfather is using simple short sentences for her to learn - e.g. ‘try again’, ‘light the fire’, ‘ get closer’, ‘finished, burn!’. Her Ŋathi (grandfather) and Märi (grandmother) are repeating a playgroup song ‘Gurtha marrtji gurrukam’ and Gutjan is learning the words and actions. Gutjan was good at lighting the fire when she is little so her grandfather gave her the nickname: ‘Gurtha maartji gurrukam’ ('Carrying firewood').

Gutjan ga marŋgithirr maranhuganharaw

Listen in Yolŋu Matha:

Gutjan likes hunting. She likes to hunt for maypal (shellfish) and ŋarirri' (fish) and nyoka (mud crab). Her Mo’mu (paternal grandmother) loved to go hunting every day and Gutjan has got that same skill for hunting – she inherited it from her grandmother who passed away before she was born. It’s in her family line. Gutjan likes to go hunting at her Märi (maternal grandmother)’s homeland, Galawarra and further up the island. She started hunting when she was a small girl and when she was 4 and 5 she started to get independent with getting her own maypal (shellfish). Now she is 6 she already likes teaching other children how to hunt.