Cirrus@Austlit

A colourful, fun and educational First Nations book about bugs!

'Tamarra: A Story of Termites on Gurindji Country is a fascinating, illustrated science book that takes kids inside the life of termites through storytelling from the Gurindji People.

'Did you know there are four types of termite poo? Or that a warm paste made from termite mound is used to strengthen a Gurindji baby’s body and spirit? Or that spinifex (which termites eat) is one of the strongest plants in the world?

'Created as a collaboration between over 30 First Nations and non-Indigenous contributors, the story and artworks explore how termites and their mounds connect different parts of Country, from tiny Gurindji babies and their loving grandmothers, to spiky spinifex plants growing in the hot sun.

'Written in traditional Gurindji, Gurindji Kriol and English (with a QR code to an audio version spoken in language), Tamarra is a truly original story with beautiful artwork that takes readers on an educational and cultural journey through Gurindji Country.' (Publication summary) 

'Gurindji country is located in the southern Victoria River in the Northern Territory of Australia. Gurindji people became well known in the 1960s and 1970s due to their influence on Australian politics and the Indigenous land rights movement. They were instrumental in gaining equal wages for Aboriginal cattle station employees and they were also the first Aboriginal group to recover control of their traditional lands. In Karu, Gurindji women describe their child-rearing practices. Some have a spiritual basis, while others are highly practical in nature, such as the use of bush medicines. Many Gurindji ways of raising children contrast with non-Indigenous practices because they are deeply embedded in an understanding of country and family connections. This book celebrates children growing up Gurindji and honours those Gurindji mothers, grandmothers, assistant teachers and health workers who dedicate their lives to making that possible.  (Publication summary)

'Two Afghans used to live here. I saw them when I was a child, not too small. They were called Walyji and Ajarraman. We used to go and scrounge food from them along with Theresa Yibwoin (whose mother Amy Ngalngarri worked for the Afghans) and her group of friends. We would come begging from them here.' (Introduction)

'A long time ago we used to work at Parlakuna ,(WL, now Delamere Bore) for Vestey which was a part of the Number 2 Camp area. My husband (Jimmy Wavehill) was working with Sabu. They were mustering cattle this way. They used to come this way a long time ago and us women would come with them. We used to wait for them at camp in the east of the yard while they branded the cattle there. We stayed here then until late afternoon when they would return to us. We would cook some bread and meat for them. This was when Vestey was running the station and he used to send us here. Sabu was working at Number 2 Camp then. Alright, we didn't get any money there, nothing.'  (Introduction)

'We used to walk here, to Ngurlma, from old Wave Hill Station when we were working on the weekends, and camp overnight. To the east is Kurlumpukpurru, another creek. Ngurlma is called Spring Creek. We used to walk around Kurlumpukpurru and then sometimes to Ngurlma.  (Introduction)

'A lot of children were taken from old Wave Hill Station. They were taken away to Croker Island.' (Introduction) 

This story is about the south side of the cliffs at Weave Gorge. The place is called Ngima but kartiya call this place Neave Gorge. '(Introduction)

'Myila na karrawarra, kaarnimpa nyawa. Ngulu pani ngawa-ngka ngulu-rla lirritkarra manani yawu-ma. Paraj ngulu punya nyantu na ngarlaka-ma jik. Kata-nga nyampa-rla-ju, ngarin jartkarraaji, water-snake. Kata-nga nyantu-waju. Might be yapakayi lawirtawirta ngulu pani. Nanta-nginyi. Kampij-nginyi ngulu pani yapakayi.  

'The story starts on the eastern side. (Karrminyjarni is the name of the place.) They were hitting the water and dragging bushes through it to catch fish. Then they saw a head pop up out of the water. Maybe it was something they could eat — a water snake. They thought it was something like that anyway. But they had actually killed a baby rainbow serpent that had just hatched. '(Introduction)