My job at Garma

By Banula Marika

I went to Garma in August at Gulkula for the Festival. We were having workshops talking about tourism, bungul and making spears.

My job at Garma was talking to a group of about 11 tourists about Yolngu land, the bush medicine, the trees and the bush foods, the animals like bush wallabies, kangaroos and reptiles.

Before we go for the walk, l tell them to bring sunburn cream, mossie cream, a hat and to wear shoes for bush walking. I told them to get water for the walking trail. I waited for them to get water. I was talking to two men about bush trail walking. I was telling them I would have to look after them and to beware of buffalo and snakes and I would care for them.

We started walking from the top of Buku mountain and we went down the cliff. I was watching them and waiting for them to get near me. I showed them what we eat from the bush; the bush foods like yam.

I showed them milkwood trees (gudarba) for the spears and stingybark trees (garaga) for the yidarki (digeridoo) and ironwood trees (mabin) for the bilma (clapsticks).

We saw pandanas for the women to make the bags, baskets, nets and mats.

We saw red, yellow and black rocks we use for painting for ceremony or for painting on bark. We didn’t see any animals because it was too hot .

The tourists were asking questions and they were interested and excited about what I told them. They were asking how we dig for the yam; with a wire or a sharp stick. I told them we use a one-metre straight stick made of mabin (iron wood).

From the bottom of the cliffs, we went up through the rainforest. We saw a palm and I showed them how we eat the fresh growing leaf which tastes like potato. The tourists liked it. Then we went back to Gukala amd they were saying

“Thank you Banula for taking us bush walking.”

They were saying “Well done” and “Thanks for showing us the bush. It was awesome”.

Some had never been walking in the bush before because they were from the city. I felt happy and very joyful and proud that they said that to me.

 By Mawalan Marika

All the Dhimurru rangers and Laynha Rangers went to Garma at Gulkula on Thursday 4 August 2005. On Friday 5 August me and Banula some Laynha rangers we were taking tourists to Cape Arnhem for a whole day.

We showed them how we get turtle eggs from the sand so we showed how we get out from the sand we taught them.

They did enjoy that day.

Then on Saturday, 6 August, with the Rangers from Laynha and Dhimurru, we were making spears showing them how we get spears from the bush.

Then we showed them how we make fire for the spears to straighten them it took us about one hour or two they did it alright and they did enjoy that day.

On Sunday 7 August we went to Yalangbara with me Mawalan Marika , Mandaka Marika , Banula Marika with the boys from Laynha rangers.

We showed them how we got lots fish with the spears. We caught lots of fish, crabs and stingray. On Monday night, 8 August, there were band playing from all over Arnhem Land and from central Australia even the school band was playing from north, west; east, and south.

The nights were great.