MARTINE’S STORY

I began my professional career as freelance the series called Gungurrunga Ngawa (Look photographer in Sydney in 1999, while also Above). The ethereal beauty of the area’s unique working as photographer and desk editor at The shapes and textures when seen from the air Australian Financial Review. reveal an extraordinary and ancient land. These images were exhibited in October 2015 and are My interest in photojournalism took me to Timor- part of the broader body of work Ngala Wongga Leste in 2003. For the next decade I worked for (Come Talk), documenting the speakers of the the United Nations as a peacekeeping mission Goldfields languages, their connection to the photographer documenting life in conflict zones land and the cultural significance of Australia’s such as Burundi, South Sudan, West Africa (at the endangered languages. height of the Ebola response), East Timor and the Democratic Republic of The Congo. My interest in indigenous communities goes back almost 20 years. In 2002, I was about to Even though those years spent in the field with hop on plane towards the Mornington Islands, my camera were truly rewarding, the nomadic to start a story about remote communities lifestyle took its toll. I needed to drop my suitcase and endangered languages. It was put on hold somewhere peaceful, a place where I could sleep for 13 years as my life took a different turn. and shower safely. I craved open spaces and I went instead to East Timor, to witness the rugged natural beauty that had brought me to independence of the country. Australia in the first place, as a 27-year-old seeking adventure far from my European homeland. It was only last year that I was able to turn my attention back to indigenous languages. My In 2013, I returned to Australia and established a research for the new project on the communities home base in Margaret River. My first project since of the WA Goldfields began in April 2015, in moving to Western Australia was a photographic Perth. It was not long after I arrived back from exhibition and book launch in July 2014, titled West Africa and my work documenting the Margaret River Region FROM ABOVE, a self- response of the UN to the Ebola crisis. I wanted published book on aerial views of the South West to revisit my original idea and start working on region exhibited at The Margaret River Gallery. projects in my own backyard in WA. It was then I In July 2015, I decided to fly over the Western began meeting with the first speakers that would Australian Goldfield’s salt lakes and photograph be part of Ngala Wongga. ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Ngala Wongga is a collaboration with the Aboriginal community in Gungurrunga Ngawa (Look Above) is a series of aerial photographs Goldfields, WA. The conceptual body of multimedia work goes beyond that captures the ethereal beauty and unique shapes and textures of documentary and photojournalism creating an aesthetic and creative the Goldfield’s salt lakes. platform highlighting the Elders connection to land whilst illuminating Using landscapes, portraiture and multimedia Martine Perret’s work the cultural significance of Australia’s endangered languages. intertwines the story of an extraordinary and ancient land, peoples, A series of evocative portraits invites us to engage with each individual language, and culture. and their personal stories enhanced through a poignant and haunting story telling installation.

AUSTRALIA’S ENDANGERED LANGUAGES LANGUAGE AND CULTURE INTERTWINED ON THE GOLDFIELDS Around 120 indigenous languages are still spoken in Australia.

The 2014 Second National Indigenous Languages Survey found only 13 The interconnectedness of a people with their land, a of these languages could be considered strong. Five languages are now culture and identity expressed with languages that today are in the moderately endangered group and some languages have moved considered endangered led me to ask myself, “What is the into the critically endangered category. Around 100 languages can now future for Australian Indigenous languages?” be described as severely or critically endangered. All over the world, language has played its part in defining It’s a bleaker picture than the first National Indigenous Languages specific cultural groups. Language and culture are so Survey, from 2005. The NILS1 found that of the more than 250 Australian interwoven that it is hard to imagine one surviving without Indigenous languages about 145 were still spoken. About 18 languages the other. If you lose your language, you risk losing your were strong, still spoken by all age groups and being passed on to culture, your oral history, your identity. children. Around 110 languages were severely or critically endangered. “…Aboriginal people also say that languages were put onto There is still hope. Around 30 endangered languages are seeing the land by Tjukurrpa () beings, and that they significant increases in usage as a result of language programs.1 are therefore linked to specific areas and not necessarily only 1 Community, identity, wellbeing: the report of the Second National Indigenous Languages Survey - Authors Doug to people themselves…”2 Marmion, Kazuko Obata and Jakelin Troy - Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) 2 “Pictures from my memory, My story as a Ngaatjatjarra woman” Lizzie Marrkilyi Ellis EDNA’S STORY

Edna was born in 1936 in the bush at Kathleen Valley, in the northern Goldfields. Her birth-name was Minigootha, after her grandmother, but she was given the European name Edna after her mother met Edna Morriati, a woman working at the Kathleen Valley Post Office. Edna Sceghi is one of the last remaining fluent speakers of Tjupan, an endangered language of the Goldfields.

Edna’s father Jack Wilcox also called Oobie was from the desert, Mangalee country. As a teenager, he walked out of the desert arriving near Mulga Queen / Laverton. It was late so he lit a small fire for warmth and fell asleep in a shallow hole he had dug. Suddenly, the sound of dog-like howling woke him up. He looked up and spotted a small group of Aboriginal men camped among the branches of a large tree. They made that dog-like howling sound. He recognized them as Ginagurbees, i.e. Featherfoots, top lore men and tribal punishers. Not wanting to be seen by these men, he covered up his fire and walked away as fast as he could.

Edna’s father was a Kuwarra speaker, her mother, Daisy, a Tjupan speaker. (They met in Lancefield near Laverton). One of Edna’s earliest memories was piggybacking her brother and sister in order to hide them in the bush from strangers. This was the era of the stolen generation, where children were at risk of being removed from families and relocated to missions. Her sister Lorna was eventually taken and stayed in a mission for 13 years, rarely seeing her family.

Edna met her husband, Paulo in 1954. He was born in Sondrio in Italy, eventually making the long journey by boat to establish a new life in Western Australia. He picked up work as a miner in Gwalia before moving on to Wiluna, putting up Edna, 2015 fences, windmills and building water tanks at Barwidgee station. Edna worked a stock woman, a jillaroo, whose job it was to muster sheep. A true Italian, Paulo loved to cook spaghetti and polenta. Edna’s family lived close so she was able to continue speaking Tjupan.

Extract from recorded interview with Edna on 19 December 2015 PHYLLIS’ STORY

Phyllis Wicker is a Ngadju elder who was After the court case, he could work at born with the help of her grandmother in the mission but could not approach his the bush at N.1 Old Reserve, just outside children. “This was very heartbreaking,” Norseman. She speaks Ngadjumaya, a Phyllis recalls. She stayed at the mission highly endangered Goldfields language. until she was 16 after which she was sent to work “in a household caring for babies and Phyllis was brought up under a ‘minda/wilja’ (a small shelter made from mulga branches) doing all types of housework” at a station until she was sent to the mission along with in Gibson. her siblings. Phyllis’s father was from the Later on in life Phyllis, with children of Ngadju people and her mother a Nyungar her own, took care of the town’s elderly. from Esperance. Phyllis has four brothers and She also helped look after other mission three sisters. children, reuniting them with their families Her father knew how to read and write and while taking on the role of ‘mum’ to those was well travelled. He was asked by the kids who had none. missionaries, “You are an educated man. Do Many white kids growing up in Norseman you want to send your kids to the mission so call Phyllis affectionately ‘Aunty Phyllis’ or they can go to school and learn how to read ‘the damper lady’. She is an Elder highly and write like you?” Believing that this was respected by all the Norseman community, the right thing to do, he agreed. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. All the children were sent to the Norseman Extract from recorded interview with Phyllis mission (renamed later to Tjirntuparapara, and Valma in Norseman on 8 May 2016 meaning ‘Sun rising over the lake’). The mission was located 15km north of town. “After an 18 year legal battle, the Ngadju Phyllis, 2016 Six months later, Phyllis’s father was taken people’s traditional ownership of 102,000 to court and charged for neglect for not square kilometres of land surrounding providing maintenance for his children care the town of Norseman was recognised, at the mission. This was despite the fact he including exclusive native title over 45,000 3 was living and working at the mission in square kilometres” order to be close to his children. 3 Ngadju Native Title Aboriginal Corporation Gungurrunga Ngawa 9, 2015 GLENYS’ STORY

As a young child Glenys Williams used to speak language. She now speaks Martu Wangka language. In 2004, there were estimated to be four speakers of the Putijarra language. It is a highly endangered language.

“I was born on 9 November 1957 at the Wiluna hospital. I am from the Panaka skin group. My totem is the rabbit. I have two brothers and four sisters. My mother, Sunshine Williams comes from Mangkili in the land (Little Sandy Desert) and my father, Willy Williams was born on the Canning stock route.

When I was young, I lived at Lorna Glen station, 150km north east of Wiluna. At that time, I did not learn how to get food from the bush by my parents. I feel I grew up as a ‘white’ person as I was never taught the traditional Aboriginal customs. At eight or nine years old, I was sent to the Wiluna mission. Old Pastor Vaughan went around and would pick the children from parents who wanted their children to be going to the mission.

My parents were happy for me to go to the mission so I could go to school. I stayed at the mission until I was 11 or 12 years old. I grew up with my grandparents, Amy and Glenys, 2016 Paddy Anderson. I was not seeing much of my parents. My grandparents camped alongside the mission. They were living in iron huts. My grandparents worked at the mission as gardeners. Old Pastor Vaughan had planted veggies and my grand-parents were caretakers for the gardens.”

Extract from recorded interview with Glenys Williams in Wiluna on 10 March and 11 May 2016 ULLALLA BOSS’ STORY

Geoffrey Stewart also known as Ullalla Boss is a Martu Elder, a Manyjilyjarra speaker, from the Panaka skin group.

Born in Nyuun Nyuun rockhole near Kata Kata Hills in the Gibson Desert, he now lives in Wiluna, in the northern Goldfields.

Ullalla Boss is the son of Warri and Yatungka, the latter are believed to have been the last of the Manyjilyjarra people to leave their country and a hunter- gatherer lifestyle. Warri and Yatungka met in the 30’s and fell in love.

Indigenous tribal law forbade them from marrying as they were from ‘wrong skin groups’. In order to avoid physical punishment, the lovers ran away together in the middle of the night. Living in isolation in the vast Gibson Desert, the couple survived for decades in the harsh outback conditions. They raised three children together. Ullalla Boss was one of them.

In 1977, a severe drought hit the region. A local elder, Mudjon, a friend of the couple set out with the explorer, Stan Gratte and a group of men including Dr Peasley to find ‘the last of the nomads’. After several weeks they were found, close to starvation, in the Gibson Desert, and brought back to Wiluna where they died not long after. Ullalla Boss, 2016 “I was happy where I was. It was paradise to me – I used to walk from rockhole to rockhole, where food was plentiful. I did not worry about life in town then. I did not know much about life outside and was comfortably settled in my own country, my ‘ngurra’, where I could walk, hunt and gather food.

I now don’t have the freedom I had then. The first time I ever tried food like flour and sugar; it tasted really strange to me. I would eat whenever I wanted. It’s just memory for me - life in the bush as I knew it and I miss all of this - how I was free to walk and grab whatever from the bush. It’s hard now as I need money when I go to the shop.”

Extract from recorded interview with Ullalla Boss in Wiluna on 15 March 2016 Gungurrunga Ngawa 3, 2015 NYAPALA’S STORY

Nyapala Morgan was born in the bush in Patjarr (Karliywara), in the Gibson Desert.

“When I was young, my mother took me from rockhole to rockhole. We survived on bush food, digging the wichetty grub. We used to sit down under the ‘wilja’ with my sisters, brother and my parents. In those days, we ran around naked. One night, I thought someone was throwing a spirit with a light or a flame, but it was the lights coming from a car. I saw whitefellas. I was worried of being grabbed. They were standing around taking photos. It was the first time I saw whitefellas”.

Extract from recorded interview with Nyapala Morgan in Wiluna on 11 March 2016

Nyapala, 2016 DINNY’S STORY

Dinny Smith is a Panaka man born with the traditional name Kuyayina in the desert region of Jameson (Mantamaru). His language is Ngaanyatjarra.

Dinny spent some time in his working life at various stations and missions and integrated his traditional spiritual beliefs. Dinny practiced the ancient skills of tool-making, creating spears, woomeras, shields, boomerangs and ‘warti’.

His fundamental belief is that educating the future generations is necessary in order to learn both life skills and retain traditional culture. He lived at Ninga Mia Aboriginal Community and used to come into the town of Kalgoorlie-Boulder to busk and share his culture by singing traditional songs about hunting and country.

Dinny is an award-winning artist whose paintings feature waterholes, animal tracks and communities around his traditional lands. Dinny is now residing at Ngurra Kampi and is one of the country’s most respected Elders. Dinny, 2015

Extract from interview conducted with Monika Dvorakova from the Bush Blossom Gallery. Gungurrunga Ngawa 7, 2015 Gungurrunga Ngawa 7, 2015 Inside the yilgarn craton, 2015 Ephemeral, 2015 Gungurrunga Ngawa 1, 2015 NGUNU’S STORY

Laurel Cooper, or Ngunu, was taken away from her parents when she was five years old. She is part of what we call now the stolen generation. “My name is Ngunu. My mother, Yudabru (also known as Adelaide) gave the name to me. My mother came from Yowalga, east of Lake Yeo. I was born in Mount Margaret. My parents wrapped me up in a sugar bag and hid me because the police were looking for me – being a half-caste child.” The Australian Government wanted to send fair-skinned aboriginal children away to be educated. Ngunu’s mother was living in a camp at the time. “She would rub charcoal (on me) and sit me in front of the fire to blacken my skin with the smoke. She was trying to make me look darker. She also used boot polish and put it all over me but the sun would dry it all up and that did not work.” “She would tell me: ‘If you see the white horse coming…run’, and I would run into the sugar bag.” One day, two policemen came along. My mother put me inside the sugar bag and then inside the swag to hide me. Both policemen came on horses and jumped off the horse and (then) kicked the bag I was hiding in.“What’s in there (inside the bag)?” said one of the policemen to my mother. My Ngunu, 2015 mother said, “Nothing, only food inside”. The policeman jumped back on his horse and left. I thought at that point that God had his hand on me (as the Families were allowed to go by the creek and sit with their children whenever policeman did not open the bag). I was thinking deep down, “Don’t send me they would come for a visit. Ngunu’s mum would come to the creek and still away to a strange country (land).” breastfeed her in the earlier days. When Ngunu’s mum would need to attend special ceremonies or when this Ngunu says she had the happiest childhood growing up the traditional way. was time for emu to lay eggs she would go and collect them (once a year) Ngunu and her parents were living in a Wilja (a traditional structure made and she would tell Ngunu: “I will be gone for few moons.” from the Mulga tree) at that time. She would collect bush food like honey Ngunu could only speak her mother’s language (Nanatadjara) when she ants, goanna, ‘bardi’, berries and wild tomatoes. Today she still goes bush to arrived to the mission. She could not speak English at first. collect food and hunt. Yudabru did not want Ngunu to be sent too far. She wanted her to be close by where she could come and visit her daughter. She was not allowed to speak her language at school. The moment she That’s why she took Ngunu to Mount Margaret Mission. She would come to came out of school she would continue speaking in her own language with the fence to visit her and would bring Ngunu traditional food even though her friends. This was important to her. “It was part of our culture,” she recalls. this was forbidden. Ngunu would take it and eat it secretly. Extract from recorded interview with Ngunu 11 July 2015 GLEN COOKE’S STORY

Glen Cooke is a respected Ngaanyatjarra Elder from the Warburton Ranges in the central desert of Western Australia.

He works as a cultural guide to strengthen traditional values and assists with challenges such as suicide prevention and preserving the environment.

Mr Cooke speaks at universities around Australia and at community rallies to contribute a positive direction for decision makers in this nation.

Mr Cooke is a talented artist and shares legends of the Dreamtime that tell stories of the creator and paints stunning landscapes of country where he has a strong spiritual connection.

Extract from interview conducted with Monika Dvorakova from the Bush Blossom Gallery. Glen Cooke, 2016 PROJECTION

1 Opening 3 ‘Tjukurrpa Ngaana 4 Oobie’s story (Edna’s father) DINNY SMITH – NGAANYATJARRA Kalayatjarra’ – Ngaanyatjarra – Tjupan ‘Afternoon corroboree song’ BRUCE SMITH KEITH SCEGHI It is about an afternoon corroboree ‘Tjukurrpa Ngaana Kalayatjarra’ is the Edna’s father Jack Wilcox, also called for adults and children. story of the life of the emu, how they Oobie, was from the desert, Mangalee come together, mate, lay their eggs country. As a teenager, he walked out of The children get up and dance. and the huge care and responsibility the desert arriving near Mulga Queen/ that the father emu has in looking Laverton. It was late so he lit a small fire after the eggs till they hatch; how for warmth and fell asleep in a shallow 2 Whispering words the mother goes on to protect, care hole he had dug. Suddenly, the sound KEITH SCEGHI – TJUPAN and teach them how to survive in the of dog-like howling woke him up. He I am whispering country. It’s also a story to ‘us’ mothers looked up and spotted a small group I am sitting quietly and fathers to look after our children, of Aboriginal men camped among I am speaking slowly to care and protect them at all times, to the branches of a large tree. They give them the best so they can survive. made that dog-like howling sound. He recognized them as Ginagurbees, ie LAUREL COOPER According to Janice Scott, the song – NANATADJARA/ Featherfoots, top lore men and tribal was sung from coastal areas to the punishers. Not wanting to be seen by Going around Goldfields, and beyond into the desert these men, he covered up his fire and I am trying to understand areas. I am whispering walked away as fast as he could. Extract from an interpretation of Janice Scott during a dress rehearsal at Goldfields Arts Centre on 21 June 2016 PROJECTION

5 Song sung at ‘Ilytji’ by 6 Nyapala’s story 7 Song – Ngaanyatjarra Elders (Pre-European – Manyjilyjarra GLEN COOKE contact) – Manyjilyjarra NYAPALA MORGAN WHISPERING: Says Glen: “This is a song by the Pintubi tribe north of Warburton and GEOFFREY STEWART “When I was small my mother took also sung by us.” (ULLALLA BOSS) me everywhere from rockhole to When Ullalla was a young boy his rockhole. We were living from bush “When we lose our loved one and mother and father would travel to food, bush tomatoes, digging for shift camp and move on to another Ilytji (Gibson Desert) in summer time food like witchetty grub. I was with horizon/another place.” after rains had fallen. They would my family and would normally get come together there with other up and have a drink of water but family members for meetings and water seemed to have evaporated 8 Glenys’s story ceremonies. Ilytji is a claypan with as though it was dry. We nearly died – Martu Wangka a permanent soak. According to an of thirst as there was not enough Aboriginal belief, a snake resides in water. My grandfather started singing GLENYS WILLIAMS the soak. Men would go hunting and to make rain come. The rains came. Glenys’s story: “On a Sunday morning women would grind up seeds for He killed an emu and cooked it. We after church we usually went out. Our dampers to feed the families. People were sitting down under the ‘wilja’ grandfather would bring all his dogs would stay as long as conditions with all my sisters and brothers, and and our grandmother would have his allowed. mum and dad came along with meat. dinner ready so we could go and get We ate it - laying down afterwards. our lunch and go out to the claypan. People would come all the way from In those days, we were naked. We She would leave us at the claypan to Karliywara to the East, Mangkili from would also eat python. It could bite play and wait for us to bring back the the South, Mungarlu from the West you and you’d have to hit it.” meat then we would have lunch, a and Kunawarritji from the North. rest then walk back to the mission.” People would bring their sons for initiation and teenage daughters to be married. Women and men would dance to the song. Gungurrunga Ngawa 4, 2015 PROJECTION

9 Whispers – Martu Wangka 11 Song – Wangkatha They jump in the car, sit down and we start driving and pull up by a ‘mulga’ GLENYS WILLIAMS LORRAINE GRIFFITHS tree. We get out of the car, walk around Repetitive whispers are ‘quiet’ & ‘whisper’ Lorraine sings a love song; a song of looking for the ants with stripes on their friendship. It’s a happy song; a dancing back. Where are they? We keep looking song that was sung by the children of and then we find them. Here they are. 10 Snake and Goanna story Mount Margaret Mission. We scrape the dirt away a bit and find – Ngadjumaya them under the bark. Lots of ants are hiding under leaves then we start slowly JAMES SCHULTZ 12 Honey Ants story – Tjupan digging and the ground gives way. On one side of Lake Cowan, there is a EDIE ULRICH Mum and I are happy because as the goanna. And on the other side, there is ground gives way, we know the honey a snake. This story is about looking for honey ants and this would make children ants are closer. We keep digging slowly The lake divides them. The legend says happy and excited. so we do not bust any of them and we that if they ‘wake up’ and meet they will keep doing it till we can see them all – fight. The song tells us: “The snake steals The children were happy when we’d lots and lots of them shining in the dirt. the eggs of the goanna to eat them and tell them we are going honey ant hunt- Kids at that point peer over our the goanna defends his nest against the gathering. shoulders and put their hands out for snake and kills and eats the snake.” “Do you want to come?” we asked. “Yes us to give them the honey ants. Mum Legend has it that when their fight signals yes,” they replied happily. chases them away and tells them to the end of time, creates earthquake and They run to get their bar, their shovel, go until we get lots more to be able to devastation around the world. because they want to dig for honey ant share them around. themselves. We start gently digging them out of the ground. When we finally have them all and mum calls the kids to give them the prized honey ants! PROJECTION

13 Ullalla Boss’ story – Manyjilyjarra 15 Ngunu’s story – Nanatadjara/Wangkatha GEOFFREY STEWART (ULLALLA BOSS) LAUREL COOPER Both got up (Peasley and Mudgeon) and had seen smoke “My name is Ngunu. My mother gave the name to me. I was made by Jeffrey. born in Mount Margaret. My mother took me away to Murrin Murrin and another place called Red Castle. They wrapped “I lit the fire,” said Jeffrey. me up in a sugar bag, they hid me because the police was looking for me – being half-caste. We went and camped, Mudgeon understood (who) had lit the fire – Mudgeon knew rolled out our swags and lit a fire and one day, two policemen there were still people left in the bush. There were lots of fires came along. They were looking for us particularly looking going on then. “I was the person doing it,” Peasley had seen for me. My mother put me inside the sugar bag and right the fire. “I lit the fire for hunting.” inside the swag to hide me. Both policemen came on horses and jumped off the horse and kicked the bag I was hiding in.” They had climbed a hill to look at any sign of smoke (smoke signals were used to show that people were still in the bush). “What’s in there (inside the bag)?” one of the policemen said They made another one themselves to show that somebody to my mother. My mother said: “Nothing, only food inside.” was still around. Ullalla was torching the country to find The policeman jumped back on his horse and left. I thought at that point that God had his hand on me (as the policeman meat - like hunting cats. Peasley and his friends had seen did not open the bag). the smoke coming from Jeffrey. God said: “You cannot take that child - this girl has to stay in her own country. I was thinking deep down, ‘Don’t send me 14 Nyapala’s story – Manyjilyjarra away to a strange country (land)’. That’s why I am here today telling you my story.” NYAPALA MORGAN “She is thinking someone is throwing a spirit with a light or flame …might be the spirit…no…It’s the lights from the car – the white fellow…they were worried about being grabbed. They saw the car next morning and they saw white fellow standing around them taking photos. It was first time she saw whitefellow.” Gungurrunga Ngawa 5, 2015