The Effervescent Chaos of Easter in Balgo

Easter in Balgo is always a time I enjoy for its cultural experience. People have a way of doing things in Balgo which are both traditional and contemporary at one and the same moment. And this is heightened at times of community-wide social events. Easter is a time for Church-going – and not only because

The Blessing of Magnificent Marlpa

I’m sitting in my room writing, and out in the kitchen sitting around the table are four Marlpa (Companions) who have come to share our lives here. They sit around the table, heads together, whispering quietly so as not to wake the sleeping Women Elders. Mungkina is lying down – flat – horizontal – for

Women Elders Doing It Rough

How can one day turn out like this? The day started out rather calmly. Juliette our new Marlpa (Companion/Friend) and I played with getting breakfast together. When I say “played” I mean – that is, after I managed to wake up enough to open both eyes. Before that I was stumbling around. Juliette, meanwhile, was

We Braved the Bush – and We Did Not Get Bogged!

We went on an excursion to Old Balgo today. And we did NOT get bogged! Everyone said that we shouldn’t go. That the road was too boggy. That we wouldn’t get through. We went anyway. Three cars. Five Parntarn-parntarnpa (Old Ladies), Marie Mudgedell, three backpacker-workers-at-the-Store, one Builder Michael, and one Doctor Russell – oh, and

Completing the Cycle of Mourning for My Marlpa (Companion)

I got hauled out of a deep sleep this morning by the Women Elders calling my name. What the….?!?!? Something was clearly wrong for them to holler like this. Was it a fire? Was the house burning down? Without hesitation I rose up from the bed-sheets in one movement and stumbled into the main room.

Three Wanya (Devils) Overpowered by Flour-Throwing Believers

The strangest thing happened to me today. I was urged into a house by an Aboriginal woman friend who wanted to tell me about her family’s experiences during the night. I’ve been into this house many times before. But I had never seen anything like this. The tree outside the door was liberally covered with

Where Songs were Sung and Dances Danced

Apologies everyone… We have been away at neighbouring community of Kururrungku for 4 days of Law Ceremony…We are now back in Balgo … Here’s my first of several reports of the activities that we enjoyed and ceremonies that we participated in during that time. Please note that not everything that happened in the ceremonies is

Where Traditional and Alien Social Security Systems Don’t Meet

Shopping. Have I told you about my shopping experience? I think not. So I will begin…. It’s morning and I’ve finally finished my morning chores – emptying warri-warri (“private”) buckets from the night ablutions, making breakfast, washing dishes, handing out wads of ngunytju (tobacco), dispensing medicines, feeding and watering dogs, playing with dogs, mopping or

Knowing When to Go to “Kururrungku” – and when not to

“Kururrungku”. “Kururrungku.” “Kururrungku.” Argh! I feel that if another person says “Kururrungku” to me again today I’m going to scream. “Kururrungku” is the Aboriginal name for the small neighbouring community also known as “Billiluna” – and we just came back from there – on Sunday. I got woken up this morning at 6.30am by Payi

Senior Law Women Start-up Women’s Law Ceremony

It’s midday on Saturday. We’re at the Women’s Centre in “lock-down”. All over the community women and children are “Sleeping” (in a dormant state) on our beds, noone talking, while the men work with the Marlurlu (initiation candidate) in Men’s Law. This involves them moving about the community with the marlurlu and travelling out of

Dancing in the Chaos at Christmas Mass in Balgo

Sorry folks, tonight I’ve chosen to spend time with Santa instead of writing to you. I know you understand. I got a present from Santa too – a popper juice and a chewy fruit bar – so it was clearly worth my trouble. Santa was visiting the local Parish House. The Kapululangu Women Elders and

A Young Women’s Sleepover at Kapululangu

How many 11 to 12 year old girls can you fit in the back of a Toyota Troop Carrier (Landcruiser)? The answer is 15! But only if you’re having a Girls Sleepover at the Kapululangu Aboriginal Women’s Law and Culture Centre. How many 11 to 12 year old girls can sit on your lap and

There was a “Fire” at Kapululangu

Well … and then … there was a fire, see! And so I wasn’t able to write a story for you tonight…. Because it looked like Kapululangu House was on fire… or was about to be at any moment… but … well … it wasn’t… luckily. But I panicked (I’m shamed to say)… and …

The Two Queens of Balgo Receive A Blessing

What does one do when the heat promises to hit 43 degrees? What would you do? Yep, you’re absolutely right. Stay locked inside a sealed, airconditioned room and don’t come out all day. Well, that was my plan. However, as per usual the morning started with the proverbial demanding blast on a car horn. It

Reclaiming the Fire Wood Trailer

I finally got another one of the Women Centre’s trailers back. The take-home message is that now that I have the trailer I’m going to be constantly asked to go wood-collecting. Yippie! But I’m jumping the gun there, and I’m also jumping today’s story so let me go back to when the day began. I

Singing Ceremony in Church

I’ve sent my mates Michael and Alan off shopping for me again. And now I’m getting messages back from them expressing … well … shall we say, some degree of resistance. What else can one make of emails consisting solely and entirely of the word “Kill”?  I can’t understand why. After all they are in

Dancing, Singing and Keening in the Church

13 November 2012 It was already 40 degrees before 9.30 this morning, and the weather report is not taking it out of the 40s at least for another week. All hail the air-conditioner! But it wasn’t much good to me today. I was out in the heat from 8.30am through to 6.30pm – engaged in