Baby Dreaming Newsletter

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BABY DREAMING PROJECT

1/7 Songlark Street, Bakewell, NT 0832
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Editor: Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow

May 2006

TRIP REPORT

REDLANDS UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA



Professor Jim Spickard and his students arrived in May. They had visited indigenous tour operations in South Australia and the Top End, and then drove to the Top End. Ngangaridj (son) Peterson and I were to join them Baby Dreaming in western Arnhem Land.. Jim had been to Baby Dreaming in 2003, with wife Meredith McGuire and we were looking forward to showing his students the country.



However Monica, a category 5 cyclone flooded the Top End, prolonging the wet season. We did consider flying the students to Oenpelli, Arnhem Land, but that was expensive, and we didnÕt think they would be safe camping there. So we decided to fly my relatives to Kakadu National Park where the students were staying.



The machinations of such planning were complicated. Fortunately Anthony, the manager at the Art Centre came to the rescue as did Venture North, the tour operator involved.



Ngangaridj Peterson and I drove to Kakadu together, and after meeting Jim in Jabiru, went to the airport to collect my 82 year old Yabok (sister) Esther, daughter Louise and her husband Jeremiah and my five gukguks (grandchildren).


The spell

Ngangaridj Jeremiah was soon entertaining the students with tales of Baby Dreaming. Meanwhile, Jim had a problem. At a South Australian tour operation, Jim had spoken to a man who behaved inappropriately towards the female students. Later, he began feeling ill, and wondered if this man had "cast a spell" on him.



When I told Ngangaridj Peterson he suggested that Jim should call this man up in a dream, look him in the eye and say, "I know what you are doing. Go away." Thinking that Jim needed something a little more concrete, I suggested there might be an appropriate ceremony using the leaves of ironwood, used to rid areas of bad spirits. There was.



Jeremiah and Peterson discussed the rite briefly (would it work with a balanda?), and then Peterson went to collect the material needed.



We sat Jim in a chair in the open. Jeremiah standing behind him, flicked water from ironwood he had wet in a bowl, around his head and shoulders. Then he threw the branch violently from him. This was repeated several times. Peterson then stood behind Jim, and after putting his hands under his arms laid them protectively on Jim's head, shoulders and chest. Jim was certainly better the next morning.


Games

Meanwhile, the students were playing musical chairs with my grandsons. It was a crazy sight, a huge gridiron player racing for chairs with the tiny five and six year olds. When the students took out a football, several removed their runners to kick barefoot like the little kids they were playing with.



That night Leeandra, my shy grand-daughter, sat alone, too shy to speak to anyone her eyes down- cast. Stacy sized up the situation and asked if she would like to play cards. Next thing Leeandra was in the thick of things, performing card tricks like a professional, and enjoying herself (here with Corey and Janaki).




Day 2
Guiding lessons

Next morning before we left for Anbangbang/ Nourlangie Rock, I told the students that this was also to be a training exercise for my relatives in European-style birdwatching and natural history. Would they please ask them questions about the wildlife?



Separately I asked Skylar, a keen birdwatcher, to specifically ask questions of birds eg calls, European names etc.



At the rock some students followed Esther, others with Jeremiah and Louise (picture is of Jeremiah addressing students), and still others with Peterson and me. Everyone seemed to feel comfortable and so I gave up trying to amalgamate the three groups.



As we walked along I suggested questions and listened to answers, giving my relatives European bird names – that bird in the tree is Silver-crowned Friarbird, that call a White-throated Honeyeater, and than one far away, White-lined Honeyeater, a sandstone endemic - and pointing out rocks, plants, reptiles and anything else I thought might interest the students and give my relatives some ideas.



At the last art site we held a competition. The students, accompanied by my relatives, were to see which of three groups could find the most bush tucker in half an hour.



Nearly finished, my group came across Jeremiah's people staring at the rocks above. They had spotted a black wallaroo, and while they were photographing the marsupial Jeremiah sprang into action. In a split second he had snapped off a sapling, grabbed a penknife and a handkerchief, and made a spear. Then he was up the rocks after the wallaroo (it got away).



The students were amazed at Jeremiah's "make-do" and hunting skills. They also seemed to accept that Jeremiah saw the wallaroo as "food" rather than "cute" or sacrosanct, quite a lesson for some, I suspect.



After we finished the walk, J.J. lifted one of LouiseÕs boys up while Gukguk Kyle stood in front of him, making peace signs (see picture). But the most notable thing was Kyle's face, split as it was, by a big grin. Kyle's mother has alcohol-induced psychosis, and has virtually abandoned the little boy. I had never seen Kyle smile before.
Poison cousin

Later we went to Jabiru to thank my great granddaughter Ngalborung Yvonne Margarula, a senior traditional owner for letting us come. My relatives selected Michael and Stacy as student representatives.



When Ngalborung came to the door, I shook hands with only one hand and was reminded by another relative that Ngalborung is my "poison cousin" and I should use two hands. I knew to do this with males but didn't know it applied to female relatives as well.

Text Box: (from right to left – Stacy, Ngangaridj Peterson, Michael, Yabok Esther, Ngalborung, Jim.

When one of us remarked on the difficulties of photographing people with such different skin tones, Ngalborung says she was "too black".
Birdwatching guides

After lunch, Zachias and Sandy took Skylar off birdwatching near our camp. They followed a flock of Grey-crowned Babblers.



The boys crouched, stalking the birds and Skylar followed suit. Dropping to all fours, Sandy crawled towards the birds, then looked back. Skylar, smiling, went along obliging the boys, looking where they pointed, and following them. This was great encouragement to my little relatives. Later, one of the kids picked up a stick to throw at some birds, and seeming to realise that his actions might not be approved of, dropped it.




Boat trip

That afternoon we travelled to Yellow Waters for the boat trip. The bus stop was crowded and other people pushed in front of Esther. Some of the students then decided to "hijack" the next bus. The students helped Esther and the kids on board.



On the boat a woman behind us wanted her photo taken with my relatives. She grabbed Zachias around the shoulders, frightening him, and thrust her camera at me. I asked, would she please let him go? She smiled and eased up. I said to Zachias," the lady just wants a photo", and he relaxed. She said she was a grandmother. I wondered whether sheÕd be happy having Esther grab her grandchild as she had Zachias.
The dishwashers

At dinner I noticed before that no one had fetched Esther her meal. Being unsteady on her feet she wasnÕt able to get a plate herself. Jim told me he had been talking to a few students at a time about looking after Esther. He said that one stated that the students still thought of themselves as children, and that they came first. EstherÕs presence might have eventually changed that line of thought.

Zachias and Sandy helped J.J. and Corey with the dishes, taking great care to dry them properly. Nobody told them to do this. The little boys fitted in as if they were at home. I thought of a trip my friend Monica and I did with Bill Harney in Katherine some years ago. He was trying to involve his young relatives in the business. The young men who'd come with us showed no interest, but his 10-year-old grandson was very keen. Involving families in tourism is so very important.








Day 3
Leaving

The next morning we packed up our tents helping one another (see picture).



We then began our goodbyes. Peterson wishes to play mako (bamboo or didgeridoo), and Esther wishes to sing a song. Although both were continuing on with us, they wished to perform on behalf of those relatives who were leaving.





Afterwards Phil, Jim's schoolteacher friend played a reading game with the kids. This was a load of fun for everyone.



Then the students brought out their books. Michael read to Kyle, who relished the attention. Then my relatives had to leave with Joel our driver, for the airport.



Joel was gone for a long time, causing some anxiety. We needed to be at Middle Point School, Fogg Dam at 3 pm. So when he returned the students water-bombed him.


Ubirr

We then set off for Ubirr Rock. Ubirr was crowded as usual. We left Esther at the vehicle as she couldnÕt climb.

Peterson, encouraged by the studentsÕ interest, got into the swing of guiding, telling them what he knew of the rock art. To one side I pointed out features I thought they might be interested in, such as the painting of a thylacine.



He also climbed to the top with some of the students, to ensure they stayed safe.











Back at the vehicle we had lunch, and afterwards Stacy and Michael had a game of football with Kyle (see right). I am so impressed with these students. They have performed a miracle with young Kyle – it's so good to see him happy and laughing.


Fogg Dam



About 5 pm we made camp at Middle Point School, and Peterson set off in my car to pick up Michael, his wife Stephanie, daughter Vicarina and her baby son, Braidon, my little poison cousin.



The mosquitoes were fearful as the Middle Point teachers had warned (I knew already being familiar with the area). Esther was fearful about the mosquitoes and prays over Leeandra to keep her safe. Esther were used to mosquitoes at Gunbalunya so maybe the newness of the place also worried her.



She was very concerned that Stephanie, Vicarina and Braidon would be bitten. I had suggested to Peterson that Esther and Kyle return to Gunbalunya and that we pick up the rest of our family up from town the next morning. But he wanted them all to be with us.



So it was a quick dinner before piling into the vehicles to head for Fogg Dam. Several students said this place was the best for wildlife that they had seen. We spotted a large crocodile eating something in the water near the causeway; there were nocturnal birds – bush stone curlews and Nankeen Night Heron; water pythons and a very obliging carpet python. Then at Harrison Dam the bus clipped a death adder. As we climbed down for a closer look, I warned the students not to get too close. Generally death adders are quite well behaved, but this one might have been hurt. And it seemed likely -the little snake began throwing itself at us, mouth agape.



Skylar particularly wanted to see owls. Imagine our surprise when on our return to camp, a Barking Owl was sitting on his tent!



Day 4

It rained during the night, and some students got wet. That and the mozzies were too much for the students who didn't want to camp another night. that night. This was understandable, but still I'm sorry that the female students won't have enough time to get to know my daughter-in-law Stephanie and grand-daughter Vicarina.

After we'd packed up I went looking for the school head, Michelle. And then the American students met the students of Middle Point School. They sang songs to each other and swapped stories. The MP students struck me as typical bush kids with their heads screwed on properly.



The photo is of Douglas, Vicarina and Braidon.



Vicki seemed quite comfortable and far more sure of herself than she was just a year ago.




Litchfield National Park

After lunch above Florence Falls, in Litchfield Park, the students went swimming while Stephanie, Vicarina, Leeandra and I and I sat in the shade, discussing what we would do for our "women's talk". We had hoped to show the girls various plants important to women, but there was only enough time for a chat.



The students looked tired, but they did ask some questions. However, the most interesting response came from Vicki. She'd been present at a previous discussion of this sort with my University of NSW students in 2005. Vicki had not said very much then, but this time she realised that her experience as a young mother with other relatives who'd been even younger at the birth of their first child, might be of interest to others. After the discussion ended Vicki told me she had wanted to tell the students about her grandmother, who'd had her first baby at thirteen!



Unfortunately we didnÕt have time to spend helping her develop a relationship with the students. Maybe next time.

Day 5

For our last day, we met at the Civic Centre where the Lord Mayor Peter Adamson and Alderman Heather Sjoberg were to meet the students and Jim and my relatives. Morning tea had been arranged and Peter was his usual chatty self. Jim put some tough questions to him on indigenous issues and Peter answered them honestly.



We were very appreciative of Peter and Heather's welcome and the effort they put in to making all feel very welcome.



Kyle had fun with the students almost up to the time we bid them farewell.



Before we left, some of the lads asked what was symbolic of Baby Dreaming. I replied, Baby

Spirits, and asked why they wanted to know. I must admit the reply surprised and touched me – they had all decided to have a tattoo to remind them of the trip. Later I emailed a baby spirit painting that their tattooist could copy.



Peterson, Jeremiah, Louise and the girls all thought the experience with the students very helpful, and many others in Arnhem Land wanted to become involved. As a result Peterson was able to complete the list of people and objectives needed to start an association. And Kyle for the first time is reading his own books.