ngarranggarni Gija Two-Way Learning and the University of Melbourne Gabriel Nodea and Robyn Sloggett Introduction knowledge and are responsible for many of the cattle stations, in the Warmun is a small township owned keeping it strong, and for teaching it early 1970s Warmun became a refugee and managed by Gija people in the to future generations. This knowledge camp. People were physically removed east Kimberley region of Western cannot be passed on without the from their country, so that simple acts Australia. Situated between Kununurra permission of the Old People. like finding food and water, as well as and Hall’s Creek, Warmun is also On one level, this article is about complex activities like ceremony and located on the ancient Wirnan an educational partnership between caring for country, could no longer be (sharing and trading) exchange the Grimwade Centre for Cultural carried out. This made Gija people route that stretched inland from the Materials Conservation at the feel disempowered and sad. They coastline around Derby to the west, to University of Melbourne and the felt as if they had been pushed aside that around Wadeye to the north-east. Warmun Art Centre, but it is also from the country they had looked Trade and shared knowledge have about the contemporary influence after through all time, and that they always been an important part of the of Ngarranggarni, which has become could no longer make decisions about social, cultural and spiritual fabric of an important part of the education caring for country. It brought down Gija life, and it was along this route programs at the Grimwade Centre, their spirits and made them feel that Gija people—working through and is now extending beyond like they were losing their strength. complex ceremonial networks— conservation as new academic Children were removed to Wyndham shared resources, cultural products disciplines at the university, such (200 kilometres to the north) for and practices. as history, microbiology and schooling, food was scarce, and life Ngarranggarni is the belief and earth sciences, contribute to the was very difficult.1 knowledge system that guides the partnership. Out of these difficulties, Gija Old Gija way of life. The Gija ancestors People, the clan leaders who held and established Ngarranggarni when Warrambany (angry water), owned Gija knowledge and so were they created the land, the plants, 1974 responsible for the wellbeing of their the animals and the people. The small Warmun township is home communities and the maintenance Ngarranggarni defines who Gija to some 500 Gija people. It is situated of Gija society, determined that people are, and sets out clear rules on the banks of Turkey Creek, with education was critical to the for how to behave properly as a people living on either side of the preservation of Gija society. Soon after member of Gija society. In particular, creek. Warmun had been a trading Warmun was legally incorporated as Ngarranggarni guides contemporary camp and meeting place for Gija an Aboriginal community in 1977, Gija life, governing family and people for generations, but following the Old People, who held senior clan relationships and Gija people’s the enactment of legislation in 1968 Ngarranggarni responsibilities, connection to, and responsibility for, to bring equal pay to Aboriginal approached the Catholic Church to their clan country. The Gija Old people working in the Kimberley establish a school at Warmun, so that People hold the senior knowledge cattle industry and the subsequent children could be educated locally. In about Ngarranggarni. They own the forced removal of Gija people from May 1979 two Josephite nuns arrived, 68 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 20, June 2017 Warmun in the Kimberley TIMOR DARWIN ARNHEM region of north-west Australia. SEA LAND Map by Janet Boschen. WADEYE KATHERINE Mitchell Plateau WYNDHAM KUNUNARRA INDIAN KIMBERLEY Lake Argyle DALY WATERS OCEAN Argyle Diamond Mine Turkey Creek WARMUN King Leopold DERBY Ranges ORD RIVER Bungle Bungle BROOME Range NORTHERN FITZROY Mueller CROSSING Ranges HALLS TERRITORY CREEK STURT CREEK PORT HEDLAND PILBARA 100 km Sister Theresa Morellini and Sister creek at the crossing immediately Art Centre was opened. Today Claire Ahern, and the Two-Way to the west of the township. Her the international reputation of the education structure proposed by the spirit returned to Warmun to pass Warmun artists continues to grow, as Old People was implemented.2 Under on the story of her spirit journey evidenced by the commissioning of this Two-Way system, Gija children across country in a dream to Rover Lena Nyadbi’s Barramundi Dreaming were taught Western curriculum Thomas who, although not Gija, for the roof of Musée du Quai Branly and educational requirements by the was a respected member of the Gija in Paris, and by the international nuns, and Gija language, knowledge community. Thomas had come from exhibitions to which Gija artists and social responsibility by the Old the desert and settled at Warmun, regularly contribute. People. As the Old People could no where he was accepted as Joolama, longer take children onto their clan and given this skin name, one of Warrambany, 2011 country, they created paintings and 16 Gija names that identify the The Warmun Art Centre is situated objects as educational material. It is eight skin groups. These define the next to Turkey Creek, and is reached these artworks and objects that form relationships and behaviour of Gija by a small one-lane bridge. On Friday the basis of the significant Warmun people to one another, and to Gija 12 March 2011, following days of Community Collection. Many of country.3 This story, known as the heavy rain, warrambany again rushed these Old People became some of Goorirr Goorirr ceremony, became along the creek, which broke its Australia’s most important artists, one of the most important events banks, flooding most of the township including Paddy Jaminji, George in the history of art in Australia. In and completely inundating the Art Mung Mung, Hector Jandany, the passing of knowledge by the Old Centre. The contemporary artworks Jack Britten, Rusty Peters, Rammy Woman to Rover Thomas, the legacy were washed out of the building and Ramsay, Queenie McKenzie, Peggy of this flood was the development of along the creek, and the room that Patrick, Phyllis Thomas, Lena some of the most important art in held the significant Community Nyadbi, Mabel Juli, Nancy Nodea Australian history. Thomas joined Collection filled with water, swilling and Madigan Thomas. the great Gija artists who developed the art and objects around the room In 1974, the passage of Cyclone an art movement that led to the and finally, when the water subsided, Tracy from the Western Australian education of Australians across the leaving them saturated and mouldy.4 coastline to the Northern Territory country, extending knowledge of Gija As soon as Art Centre staff resulted in flooding across the beliefs, lore and history. The name of realised the potential impact of the Kimberley. The newly established Warmun also become known on the floodwaters on the Centre, calls were Warmun township was struck by world stage when, in 1990, Thomas made to secure assistance. Argyle tragedy. The warrambany (angry represented Australia at the Venice Diamonds, part of the mining water) from Cyclone Tracy flooded Biennale. company Rio Tinto and operator Turkey Creek, resulting in the death In 1998, after Gija Old People of the Argyle Diamond Mine in of a Gija woman who was in a car and artists decided that they needed the eastern Kimberley, provided that attempted to cross the flooded their own art centre, the Warmun helicopters and staff to airlift the Gabriel Nodea and Robyn Sloggett, ‘ngarranggarni: Gija Two-Way Learning’ 69 Community Collection to Argyle Conserving the Warmun this time a number of visits took Diamonds’ offices in Kununurra, Communit Collection, and place between Warmun and the about 200 kilometres north-east Two-Way Learning. University of Melbourne. One of Warmun. Arnhem Northern In the days following the 2011 flood, reason for these visits was to check and Kimberley Artists Aboriginal fibrous mould was observed growing that the treatment of the works was Corporation (ANKA) secured support on a number of artworks, and it was being undertaken in ways that were from its members, in particular clear that treatment could not wait culturally appropriate: that proper Waringarri Artists in Kununurra, and for the approval of grant applications. permissions were in place, that from the Museum and Art Gallery of In consultation with Gija Old People, Grimwade Centre staff and students the Northern Territory, and arranged the decision was made to incorporate and others who might be involved for logistics company Toll Holdings to treatment of the collection into the were properly authorised to do the provide, at no cost, a refrigerated truck teaching program at the Grimwade work, and that the processes for to bring those works that required Centre. In this way, these objects— informing people of progress were conservation treatment to storage at made in order to educate young adequate. A recurring question from the Public Record Office Victoria in people about Gija culture and Grimwade Centre staff concerned Melbourne, some 3,000 kilometres knowledge—would be used to how to undertake conservation away. In the meantime, Warmun educate a new generation of students. properly when dealing with Gija Art Centre staff, artists, and Gija It was Patrick Mung Mung, son of cultural material. A consistent Old People began to work with two the great Two-Way Learning man answer was that to understand how staff members of the Grimwade George Mung, who first identified to behave properly, it is necessary to Centre (Lyndon Ormond-Parker this logical sequence of events come regularly onto Gija country, as and Marcelle Scott) on a plan for the when he visited the University of this is where knowledge is held and treatment of the precious items from Melbourne in October 2011.5 By the best shared.