Ngayulu kulunypa nyinangi munu ngayulu pulkaringu ka ngayuku ngunytjungku nganananya katipai putikutu, paluru rapita tjawalpai, tjuta paluru nintinu munu tinka witintjaku, pungkuntjaku rapita munu paluru tjukurpa wangkangi “Nyangatja tjukurpa tjutaku ngura” munu paluru ngayunya katingu paluru tjukurpa wangkapai “Nyangatja Maku dreaming” Ngayunya nintinu katukutu tatira apungka munu paluru tjitji tjuta nyinatjunu. Tjitji tjuta nyinakatingi tjukulangka ka minyma tjutangku inma palyanu, tutungka nyitinu, inma inkangi katu, inma inkara apu waningu ka Maku winkiringu punungka nyara Antara-la.
When I was a child my mother would always take me and others out bush and teach us how to dig and hunt for rabbits and goannas. She would teach everyone and always said, “Here is where the dreaming and storyline is held”. She would take and show us the Maku Dreaming, we would go high up on the rock, she would tell every child to sit down. My mother and the ladies would apply yellow ochre that resembles the Witchetty Grub’s poo across our bodies, as we sit by the rock hole. As my mother applies and rubs the ochre onto our bodies she would sing the traditional song and dance, she would then tell the children to throw a certain amount of pebbles down the hill. We would then after have a lot of Witchetty Grubs in the ground under the Acacia Kempeana trees in the Antara area.
Munu paluru nintilpai wangunuku, wangunu uralpai, runkalpai tjiwangka runkara katipai putikutu, tjala tjawalpai munu tjala tjutulpai wangunungka munu tjitji tjuta ungkupai ngalkuntjaku wiru. Tjutaku nintinu - makuku, putatu-ku ka nganana ngalkulpai, tjitji tjuta paluru wangunu uralpai piruku munu kapi tjutilpai runkara urulpai, marangka lipulangkupai munu warungka kutjalpai wangunu, tampa purunypa, uralpai munu katara nganananya ungkupai ngalkuntjaku mai tampa wiyangka, wirunya.
My mother would teach me how to gather food, she would collect Naked Woollybutt grass seeds and grind them together on a smooth, flat rock, she would take the ground Woollybutt seeds, dig for honeyants, collect a lot and pop the honey from the ant into the grass seeds and feed all the children the yummy bush food. She would gather another lot of grass seeds, pour water on and grind everything together, level it out with her hands and cook it in the fire. It was similar to damper. She would then break it into pieces and give us all a portion, we didn’t have damper, so we ate that us poor things. I was taught how to gather for all the bush tucker, Witchetty Grubs, Honey-Ants.
Paluru hard time palyanu ngalta, waarka pulka palyanu ngayuku nguntjungku ngalta munu paluru nintinu ngayuku kangkuru, ka paluru ninti pulka nyinangi munu paluru ankupai putikutu malu kutjalpai, ngayuku nguntjungku nintintja. Nganana alatji ninti nyinanyi ngalta, kunpu. Munu inma putitja maku dreaming inmaku nintinu, pakantjaku inma Maku, paluru nintira nganananya wantikatingu ka nganana ninti nyinanyi Mimili Maku, Antaraku, ankupai tjitji tjutatjara. Munu paluru pakalpai Ara irititjangka ngaranyi, Marinanya ninti, Anita, Josina, ngalta, puliri tjuta.
My poor mother worked very hard for us, she taught my older sister everything, she knew everything, my sister also knew to cook and cut kangaroos, my mother had taught. We carry this knowledge because of our mother, to keep strong also.
My mother would always dance and sing the Antara, Maku dreaming story - you can find her on the Ara irititja site. She left the story behind for us. Now my whole family knows the storyline, her granddaughters Marina, Anita and Josina.
Tjukurpa ngayulu walkatjunu nyangatja dreaming pulka for Antara. Ngayuku nguntjungku ngayunya wangkapai “Nyuntu nyangatja walkatjura, tjukurpa mulapa nyangatja” Ngayulu pukulpa ngaranyi Makuku, tjukurpa irititja, tjamuku, kamiku tjanampa ngura kunpu ngaranyi tjukurpa tjuta. Ka malatja malatja nintiringkuntjaku, tjitji tjuta nyakula nintiringanyi munu kulini munu katinyi tjitji tjuta munu nintini nyangatja.
The story I have painted is the very important law of Antara. My mother would always tell me; “You can paint this story - this story is vital and true. I am very proud of the Maku story and of keeping our grandmothers and grandfathers story strong. I am glad to be able to pass it down to the younger generation, teaching them and showing them everything that needs to be known.
Betty Kuntiwa Pumani 2021, translation by Partimah Fielding