Janganpa and Yawakiyi song cycle Lajamanu women, Yarturluyarturlu, 1984 translated from Warlpiri with Barbara Gibson Nakamarra (1984, 1995) and edited for the CD-ROM Dream trackers (UNESCO, 2000) by Barbara Glowczewski
SONG 1 nganjiljiyi wurna wurna jirripirrdi wurnawurna Yawakiyi plum travelled, the jirripirrdi bird travelled.
SONGS 2—4 intilyapilyapipili punmuntu pakarnina wikirri pajirninya Butterfly eat the pretty flower, they become green leaves
pajarradu nganyaniri nganyaniri The flower opens and all the plums come out
yawakiyi wurna kuturlu pukujarkaja The plums travel they become black, half ripe
SONG 5 wajungunta yunanjila karna yanyanya Janganpa possum keeps going not looking at the Yam people (Japanangka/ Japangardi) in the bushes
SONG 6 purrpurrpardinya Rirrinjarrarla ngarlili plum black soup came out from the ground
SONG 7 puturlu warlawarla nganjiljiyi warla warla The Jukurrpa people (Jakamarra, Jupurrurla, Nakamarra, Napurrurla) have been straightening their backbones
New songs for Yarturluyarturlu by Rosy Tasman Napurrurla, Lajamanu, 1984
translated from Warlpiri with Barbara Gibson Nakamarra (1984, 1995) and edited for the CD-ROM Dream trackers (UNESCO, 2000) by Barbara Glowczewski
STORY
I dreamt of Jinma, the place of the Yawakiyi Jukurrpa. I was born at the Granites and spent my childhood there because of the gold mine where my people were getting tobacco and flour.
In the dream I had two years ago, I was sitting on my own and heard the sound of the clapping sticks the men play at the Jardiwanpa fire cermony. I dreamt of the Emu people, and I heard a new song for Janganpa and Yawakiyi. They were travelling towards Yarturluyarturlu, the Granites.
There I saw the Janganpa women singing and painting themselves. The Possum Dreaming gave me the new songs, paintings and dances.
First I followed my Wampana Wallaby fathers who were travelling with the Emu people. I saw the Emu paint themselves with circles, their eggs. They took me up to two rockholes near Kulpulunu, place of the Water Dreaming. They sat there in the shade. Then I followed them to Warpinypa, place of the kalajirdi Grass where the Wampana Wallabies, the Emus and the Kurlukuku Dove met for the fire ceremony.
In my dream, I saw a baby lying in a parraja dish. I saw her rolling on the side. Then she was bigger and grabbed a stick to get up but she fell! My mother and my two grandmothers took her hunting. 'Mummy! Mummy!' she was crying, 'Daddy is coming, yati, yati, I am happy now!' she shouted.
She was given some meat but shouted, 'Mummy, I want milk!' She talked but was still young.
I saw her growing, walking her first steps. This was my kurruwalpa spirit-child from Wampana. I was travelling with my brothers to the Granites and Papinya. My spirit-child followed the track I was going to follow during my life. Every dry season my people used to meet other groups.
My spirit was adult now, going back and forth between the Granites and Jinma. I saw all the Dreamings of the region wampana Wallabies, Emus and kalajirdi Grass. I followed them to Jarralparri and Jawalarra, two wampana places.
'Mum and Dad, let's stop here,' my spirit said.
And so they stopped in Jinma and I woke up.
This is how I dreamt new songs for a Yawulyu.
SONGS
Jilimi lakurrlakurr Yarturluyarturlu lakurrlakurr On the flat rock jilimi, the women's camp, the Possum women were sitting
I saw them painting their bodies and sing
Kurumindi lakurrlakurr A Kurumindi they were sitting in a group
Wajungunpalu lakurrpa They were singing their name Wajungu, Possum.
Jalparla lakurrlakurr Jalparla, the women's camp, the jilimi.
Jilimi karlarkarlar wajungu pawulu karlarkarlar They were sitting in line, karlarkarlar.
These are the songs and the paintings that I taught some Napurrurla and Nakamarra out in the bush. We danced the new Yawulyu during the Chritmas holiday (1983). A few months later, when it was decided to make a video at the Granites to explain to the new mining company that the place should not be destroyed, we showed the Yawulyu to the other Lajamanu businesswomen. The men elders asked us about our dance and paintings. We paid the kunari to the kirda and kurdungurlu men, so now we can dance the new Yawulyu for Janganpa.
I heard in my dream the old songs retracing the story of the Possum and the Yawakiyi Plums. When Munga Munga gives us a new Yawulyu , it shows us the old trail with our fathers' songs. For the old story, ask Barbara Nakamarra, who is the custodian from her father.
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