Book Extract - UWA Publishing - The University of Western Australia

MamangThe Charles and Joy Staples South West RegionPublications Fund was established in 1984 on the basisof a generous donation to The University of WesternAustralia by Charles and Joy Staples.The purpose of the Fund was to make the results ofresearch on the South West region of Western Australiawidely available so as to assist the people of the SouthWest region and those in government and privateorganisations concerned with South West projects toappreciate the needs and possibilities of the region in thewidest possible historical perspective.The Fund is administered by a committee whose aimsare to make possible the publication (either by full orpart funding), by UWA Publishing, of research in anydiscipline relevant to the South West region.An old story retold byKim Scott, Iris Woods and theWirlomin Noongar Language and Stories ProjectWith artwork byJeffrey Farmer, Helen Nellyand Roma Winmar (Yibiyung)The Charles and Joy StaplesSouth West Region Publications Fund

glossaryFirst published in 2011 byUWA PublishingCrawley, Western Australia 6009www.uwap.uwa.edu.auUWAP is an imprint of UWA Publishinga division of The University of Western Australia-ak(suffix) of, associated withanaquestion-ang(suffix) withbaalitbaalang he/she-with; his/hersbaalap theybaalapiny theirbaaminy hittingbarang grabbardang jumpbindjel bubblebireniny scrapeboodja earth, land, countryboodja-k ground-ofbookidja over thereboolamanyboorda laterbordak closeboyarockbwooar insidedabakarn slowdarapenterdatjmeatdemangka grandparentsdjerabiny proud/happy/desiringdjertbirdsdjinang seedjinangelangainy all seeing/looking togetherdjooksister/sistersdonstab-inykalyakoorlkarepkarlakkarlangatkedinykeninykepkep-alkoboorlkoodjalkoolangakoombarkoorlkoortlmaammamangmamang-miyelmayermoorlanynanapngalangngaanelangainynganngayn(suffix) present participle, orto indicate object in sentenceall around; foreverholehomebeside firecarryingdancingwaterwater (agency)stomachtwochildrenbiggoheart(suffix) marker of subjectin sentencemanwhalewhale-eyesoundbackstopoureating, all togethermymenga-ooo screamngardi downngat(usually suffix) beside, next-tongayanginy screamingngaytjIngoorndiny lying/recliningnidjatheseNoongar Noongar, person, peoplenyinsitnyoondok youunnasee anawangkiny speaking, talkingwangk saywalang-walanginy singingwardarn oceanwardarn-al ocean (agency)wariny hangingwindja wherewoorafarworlskywortawayyaakiny standingyeynowyiraupyokawomenyoowarl-bili this side/wayyoowart no/notThis book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealingfor the purpose of privatestudy, research, criticismor review, as permitted under the Copyright Act1968, no part may be reproduced by any processwithout written permission.Enquiries should bemade to the publisher.Copyright © Wirlomin Noongar Language andStories Project Incorporated 2011The moral right of the author has been asserted.Design and typeset by Anna Maley-FadgyasPrinted by ImagoCover image by Jeffrey FarmerNational Library of AustraliaCataloguing-in-Publication data:Mamang / prepared under the direction of theWirlomin Noongar Language and Stories ProjectIncorporated ; retelling by Kim Scott and IrisWoods ; illustrations by Jeffrey Farmer, HelenNelly and Roma Winmar (Yibiyung) ; Englishtext by Kim Scott.9781742582962 (pbk.)Noongar language--Fiction.Scott, Kim, 1957-Woods, Iris.Farmer, Jeffrey.Nelly, Helen.Winmar, Roma.Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project.A899.153436

MamangFreddie Winmer (Winmir), Borden, 1973.Image courtesy of the B.A.R. Collection, South Australian Museum.This book is inspired by a story Freddie Winmer told thelinguist Gerhardt Laves at Albany, Western Australia, around1931. It has been workshopped in a series of communitymeetings, which included some of the contemporary familyof both those men, and would not have been possiblewithout their involvement and support. We would also liketo thank Dr John Henderson at the University of WesternAustralia, Abmusic (Aboriginal Corporation), the South WestAboriginal Land and Sea Council, the Australian Institute ofAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Mary Gimondo,Lefki Kailis and Margaret Robinson. The goodwill of thefamily of Gerhardt Laves is also very much appreciated.The Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project hasbeen sponsored by the Aboriginal Lands Trust and the WestAustralian Department of Indigenous Affairs, the Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander Arts Board of the Australia Council,the Indigenous Heritage Program of the Departmentof Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population andCommunities and Healthway promoting the Respect YourselfRespect Your Culture message.Key people in the Wirlomin Noongar Language and StoriesProject have included: Hazel Brown, Audrey Brown (RIP),Lomas Roberts Sr (RIP), Helen Nelly, Gerald WilliamsSr, Gerald Williams Jr, Russell Nelly, Iris Woods, GeoffreyWoods (RIP), Roma Winmar, Edward Brown Sr (RIP),Ezzard Flowers, Jenny Crosbie and Kim Scott.To download a reading of this story, or for instruction on howto purchase a CD containing the reading, go to:www.wirlomin.com.au3

Datj wardarn-ak boyak-ngat ngoorndiny. Mamang!Meat ocean-of rock of beside lying WhaleA young Noongar man saw something in the ocean, something big andright up close beside the rocks. Oh… a whale!4 Mamang

Noongar baal bordak koorl djinang karep koombar moorlany mamang.Noongar he close go see hole big back whaleNoongar baal bardang darap koorl bwooar mamang.Noongar he jump enter go inside whaleThat brave young man was one of our family. He stood on the rock nextto the whale, and looked down at the hole on the whale’s back. Then hejumped right down inside the whale. Oh, it was like a cave in there!6 Mamang

Baal mamang koort barang.He whale heart grabMamang baal ngayanginy ‘Nga-ooo, nga-oo.Whale he/it screaming scream screamBaal ngardi koorl bwooar wardarn-ak.He/it down go inside ocean-ofNoongar baal mayer wangkiny, walang-walanginy, mamang keniny.Noongar he sound speaking singing whale dancingThat Noongar man pushed and squeezed the whale’s heart so thatthe whale cried out and dived, down, deep into the ocean. As it grewdarker the man began to sing a very old song, a song his father taughthim, a song to make a whale carry you on a very special journey.8 Mamang

Mamang yira koorl.Whale up goNoongar baal mamang-miyel-ang djinang.Noongar he whale-eye-with seeBaal djert worl-ak wariny djinang.He bird sky-of hanging seeBoola wardarn woora, boodja yoowart.many/much ocean far earth no/notDeep down there in the dark inside the whale the man sang to the rhythmof the whale’s big slow heart beat until, slowly, the light came back. Theman saw ocean all around him, birds in the sky, but no sign of land.10 Mamang