Indigenous Cultural Livelihoods In Focus
Interviews by John Greatorex
Mapuru Weavers: Livelihoods from Arts and Tourism
Monday 8 August, Garma 2005
[The following text has been translated from Liya-Dhalinymirr and Ritharrŋu]
John: Can you tell about where you are from and what you do?
Malŋumba: We are from Mapuru, near Galiwin'ku, Galiwin'ku is the nearest town. We are doing this work for our children, and grandchildren. We are doing this work for our families. This idea, this plan, is showing them how to work for later on. They are watching us, and seeing what we are doing. Later they will continue this same work, just like we're doing now. They will follow in our footsteps and continue what we have shown them. It is for our children, for them to live by, doing this work, carving, baskets, running the shop, and other resources. There are many (options), many, for them pursue do later.
That's why we have come as a group to teach here at Garma. This is our first time, first time that we have come here. We are showing this (our) work on this country. We are watching, how on this country they role model and teach their children. And how the Elders of this country live and work.
John: Why do you live at Mapuru?
Malŋumba: We live at Mapuru because our elders put their feet there, settled there, stayed there, their feet are there, they lived there. We grew up there, and we watched them, and decided to continue the work that they had shown us. They planned that we would do that work, like pandanus, carving, those things. They saw that Mapuru had plenty of water, big water, so they lived there. My fathers', mothers' country, that's why.
We are working and hoping that it will grow that home-land, and become well known, others will hear about it, and it will have a good name. Right now it is small, but it is beginning to grow. Slowly that way, (bigger).
John: What's meaning of business?
Ŋuluwidi: The meaning of it is this, when we shifted from Galiwin'ku, and began living on our home-land, we moved home. Our future, show that (weaving), this group (of women) weave pandanus, an we previously (we started) the shop, it growing slowly. So that they become level, this (weaving) and the other (work areas). There is some ranger work.
This pandanus (business) is just starting (after three years), to be a proper (business) there needs to be lots and lots of programs. Pandanus is just one way of starting. Like ceremonial dancing, bark designs, or painting other things, yidaki, thing like these.
Malŋumba: If it grows (our business), then other programs like painting, dancing, and there are so many other (ideas) for later on. But right now it is just growing, this weaving, and the shop is helping us (to stay settled on country).
Two (businesses) are running. I didn't mention earlier. The food (shop) is operating, so that when the old people don't have money to fly to the other side (to Elcho Island), they can buy food (where they live), sometimes when people go shopping to Elcho there's no money to return. What's the word, we're not on 5 or 6 ($500 or $600 a fortnight people ). No, we're only on small (income) of 3 ($300 per fortnight), living on 3.
The big plane is $215, and the small one is $155, (one way to Elcho island). So that shop, we started that shop so food would come (to Mapuru). So these old women could shop there on their homeland. And for the children, to later on run it after (we have gone).
Jackie: We want this pandanus business to continue, so like the shop money will stay there (in our homeland). The pandanus will be the same, the money earned will stay (in our community). Let's make more shelters so many, many tourists will come (to Mapuru). There at Galiwin'ku we are not allowed to make a pandanus (business). Is that right? Yes (others). There's no art and craft?
Malŋumba: It is allowed, but only for the mission residents, we only receive a small (amount for our work). They don't see all the work we do, it's a big job, looking for pandanus, looking for dyes, digging them up. It's a lot of work. They should pay fair prices.
These are newly discovered colours. Previously the elders didn't use dyes, they used to paint with ratjpa (red/purple), yellow (ochres), ratjpa, and yellow in the beginning.
When the mission started, when Sheppie arrived, they found dyes like guninyi (tree used for yellow dye), it grows near the coast. Then they were looking away for the coast and they found djundum (tree). It's this yellow colour.
Ŋuluwidi: It's just that we are under Galiwin'ku. Let's set up our own, by ourselves. We need to build our own shelter on our homeland. Like when we built up our food (shop) by ourselves with our own money. So that when tourists come they can buy there.
Malŋumba: I now think, this group here will build a small shelter, so that these (baskets), however many there are can be put inside. When tourists come they can buy from us. They will all have prices and names on them.
John: What about tourists?
Malŋumba: We, this group here want tourists to come, and when they want (to buy), we will sell to them, so the money stays with us and the right people, the ones who do the work get paid.
It okay for them to come and learn, they will be paying for those workshops. Give them work (to learn). That's good.
Midiku: From work and sweat, they will come and buy, that's how it will grow, from sweat not from sitting. Sweat and work.
Ŋuluwidi: Will we have a separate bank for the (store) and for this (pandanus)?
Malŋumba: We have to agree between ourselves, who receives the money and who will look after it. I am looking after you (older women).
Ŋuluwidi: We need to shop to continue, it mustn't break, it must keep going.
Marathuwarr: My father lived here and planted a garden down by the creek. You tell his name, "Wuruwul", and Barambum, those men were in a grandparent-grandchild relationship.
He said grandfather. 'Let's see if we can grow a garden, if the land will recognise the garden, bananas by the creek?' 'Yes, we'll plant some grandson.'
I went there, and asked my father. 'What are you doing?' I had with me these two children, this one (Ŋuluwidi) and this one (Malŋumba). My father showed me and my sister what he was doing. 'Sit here my child, and my grandchildren, this water doesn't dry up, at the end of the dry season it is like this'.
I understood his thoughts, what he was saying. So I stayed there, built timber and bark platform shelters and lived there. I taught my children how to make these shelters.
I worked and with my knowledge I taught the children. These are your root foods. This is your honey. These will grow you strong, later you won't become sick (before your time), here is water.
Eventually it (Mapuru) become bigger, big. I thought. 'I've no money to fly (to go shopping to Elcho Island). I'll stay here permanently at Mapuru, and start a shop. So that (food) will come to me, where I am living, to Mapuru. This was my idea. Here's 400, I gave it, let's try.'
It started, and that was it. It kept me there, and kept the children there. We stayed there, the grandchildren with food. No more flying. Why? Because of money (we live on) 300, 300, 300, 300, we lived on 300 and still today we are on 300.
The children and grandchildren work, learn to make string with balgurr, there's balgurr (Brachychiton sp) here so we can live and stay here, right here. The food (co-op) and the pandanus (weaving) have enabled us to put our feet down and stay here.
'Stay here, you make fire sticks, you make spears, you make bunduk, children, grandchildren.' That's how I instructed them.
'Grandchildren work and learn so that if anything happens to me, you will already know.'
'Grandchildren I call you, and you others whatever kinship connects us. Your mother and I continue to teach you. This our homeland will grow through the food, and when balanda come to us, we teach them here, so the money stays here.'
We want (tourists) to sit and share with us, and buy (our weaving), the money will stay with us.
Jackie: This is my first time at Garma, I've been watching how Garma operates. I really understand how the shop runs back (home),so I've come here, to see how it is running. Garma has given me lots of ideas. In the future the children can operate thing like this. They will learn.
John: What do other Yolŋu think of tourists?
Jackie: People in other homelands may be interested in tourists, I don't know, (they have to speak for themselves). If others groups want tourists (like us) then they can follow us, or join with us. When we talk about mining, we say no. This is enough (to live on). Our (business) is just growing. It's enough, we are running our business, our hands don't get tired (of weaving), it keeps us free of illness.
John: You work from sunrise to sunset, your hands must be tired.
Malŋumba: It is really a lot of work, that's true, because, when you do paper work, and other work, typing, balancing money, this is the same. But it's like, it makes me feel good to do this, to sit and work. My hands, head and body, know this work.
Bambalarra: My two children have feelings like me. They are now working by themselves. Now I leave it up to them.
Marathuwarr: Also brother, when we are away I worry so much for that pandanus. When we work with pandanus, it keeps us alive and healthy. If I sit down (and don't work) I will become sick.
Midiku: We will be sick all over. That's our way, (to be busy all the time).
Marathuwarr: When we do this (weaving), this is keeping us alive, very alive.
John: Like air?
Malŋumba: Like food, healing us.
Midiku: We can't find this by sitting down.
Ŋuluwidi: Like garden, planting (gardens), the body is moving.
Malŋumba: Marathuwarr: (many voices) We want to have tourists come, that's what we are working towards.
Ŋuluwidi: And also running workshops for one week. It will be open for tourists to visit. When tourists leave and others ring up then they can come in.
Malŋumba: Also they first need a permit. I don't know the policy from Galiwin'ku, (and how that affects us.) This is our idea, our thinking, and we are trying this (weaving) business. Balanda come and learn through (our) workshops, after the workshops they can stay on, or return.
Ŋuluwidi: It's good that they go through a permit (system), they ring Bulany, then he calls this way to me, and I'll tell you mob. That's good.
Malŋumba: We are happy, and are happy with your work, we were trying before but no-one, I haven't seen anyone like you before. You go ahead and work the website, and baskets (on website).
Marathuwarr: We feel love for you, we thank you, for the help you are giving us, and at the same time we help you.
Malŋumba: We want paperbark (shelters) only (for the tourists), only paperbark shelters, we will make big ones. The shelters need to be away from the town, so when balanda come they see the bark and paperbark shelters, that's what we want.