We Adnyamathanha Yura peoples of the Northern Flinders. Adnya-mathanha Yura Life Cycle, Birth Names, and Connection to the Heavenly Bodies

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1 Adnya-mathanha Yura Life Cycle, Birth Names, and Connection to the Heavenly Bodies Walha Udi Marvyn-anha Frederick McKenzie Snr, Virdianha Nhunga Adnyamathanha Wailpi Kuyani Ararru Vukarra Milana Yura Walha Udi Marvyn-anha Frederick McKenzie Snr is an Aboriginal artist and writer who has an interest in history and passing on his culture to the next generation. We Adnyamathanha Yura peoples of the Northern Flinders Ranges have a very strong connection to the heavenly bodies above us, as our life cycle is Spiritual Physical Spiritual and at the end of our life we return to our heavenly abode, which we call Wikurtanha which is the Adnyamathanha Yura ancient concept of Heaven. Our Spiritual existence begins in Wikurtanha, where we are created by our two spiritual Ngami (Mothers) known as the Maudlangami. The two Maudlangami are the source of all life and like us they are Ararru and Mathari and they each produce us as spirit children of their own moeity and kinship totems, and in this spiritual existence we are called Muri. As Muri we are then told by our Maudlangami to come down to the world beneath to find a suitable Ngami (Mother) to be physically born to. As Muri we are always on the look-out for pleasant-faced and kindly Ngami and whilst we are looking for such Ngami we spend our days seeking food from the gum blossoms and at night we fall asleep 140

2 Walha Udi Marvyn-anha Frederick McKenzie Snr under the loose bark of tree trunks, and this goes on until we find a suitable Ngami and are born physically into Yarta (Land, World). When we are physically born into the world we then become known as Yura which means of the Earth, as the word Yura is derived from the word yurra which means dirt, earth. As we are born physically into the Yarta (Land, world) we are given birth order names to signify our order of birth and we are also given a totem name, as well as another additional name that today is often called a nick name, in order to differentiate us from others who may also bear the same birth order names as ourselves. Our nick names may be based on our appearance or a personal characteristic we may show or have, or something we have done or which has happened to us. Our birth order names are worked out according to order of birth in the family of the Ngami (Mother), irrespective of who the Vapi (Father) is, and regardless of sex. For example, Murnakanha is not the fifth-born girl, but the fifth-born child, who is female. Still-births and miscarriages are also counted. Our Yakkarti Mityi (Children Names) are as follows: First Virdianha (if male) / Arranyinha (if female) Second Warrianha (if male) / Warrikanha (if female) Third Unaanha (if male) / Unakanha (if female) Fourth Marruanha (if male) / Marrukanha (if female) Fifth Murnanha (if male) / Murnakanha (if female) Sixth Wanguanha (if male) / Wangurtanha (if female) Seventh Yadaanha (if male) / Yadandhanha (if female) Eighth Milanaha (if male) / Milakanha (if female) Ninth Ngarlaanha (if male) / Ngarlakanha (if female) Tenth Mawaanha (if male) / Mawananha (if female) There are no Yakkarti Mityi (Children Names) for children after the tenth as the naming cycle did not restart again and thus other names were given to children born after the tenth. There are rules about which additional names could be used when referring to a particular person and would often depend on who was speaking and 141

3 Westerly 54: 2 our relationship with the person speaking. Names were not spoken aloud or in public after a person has died and this tradition remains with us today to a certain extent. For example, when people talk of my Mother who is deceased they do not directly mention her name when speaking, but substitute it with Marvyn s Mother so all know who is being spoken about; and if others share her name then they are immediately given nick names so that her name is not mentioned when calling out to the person who shares her name. Whilst we are on the Earth as Yura we undergo education and training that lasts our lifetime. When we die our physical body is placed within a Warlikari (grave) and three days later our Wannapi (Spirit) rises up from the Warlikari and we return to our Spiritual existence and travel back to reside once again in Wikurtanha from whence we first came. The colour of our Wannapi is white. Our Wannapi Spiritual journey back to Wikurtanha is via the Vukarnawi (water of the dead) which is the sidelong view of Wali Vari (lit. wriggling creek ; the Milky Way Galaxy) and which flows into Wildu Manta-awi (Wedge-tail Eagle Feet/Claw, Southern Cross). It is here in Vukarnawi that our Wannapi is captured by the Wildu Mant-awi and our Wannapi is then dipped and cleansed by it in the awi (water) of Vurkanawi in order to wash away any pollution we may have picked up and brought with us from the Yarta (Land. World). Once cleansed the Wildu Manta-awi then drags us through to Wikurtanha where we join up with all our Wardumathanha Ngakini (Ancestral Family). We also have our own Ancient Yura Ngawarla (Language) Mityi (Name) for other Heavenly bodies. Vurta Vulka, the two Valnaapa Vudlalypila (the two Magellanic Clouds) are the two Wardumathanha (Ancestors) who gave us our marriage and kinship laws and who now watch over us, night and day, to ensure we maintain them. There are also: Yundu Artunyi (the Sun) (Seven Sisters, the Pleiades) 142

4 Walha Udi Marvyn-anha Frederick McKenzie Snr Vira Vurlka Wildu Wata Vudli (Old Man Moon) (Wedge-tail Eagle, Mars) (Venus) over the Yarta Unlike the heaven of Christianity our Wannapi can travel to and from Wikurtanha so that we may check up on our peoples and descendants every now and then. Today many of our people do not believe in our ancient beliefs, due to Christianity and other religious beliefs that have come into our people. When the Christian missionaries came to our peoples they told our Wardumathanha that our old ancient beliefs were fables and myths, but not all of our people believed this or adopted Christianity. It is worth noting that one of our Wardumathanha at the time said this: When I hear the missionary telling the people at church about how they will go to hell if they don t follow Jesus and live like white man, I laugh to myself, for I know that if I remain a black fellow, I won t go to hell, for there is none. When a black fellow reaches Wikurtanha he is always happy, well fed and contented. If one changed over to be a Christian, he might go to hell. If he remains a black fellow he won t. When the Christian missionaries came to our Wardumathanha they missed an ideal opportunity to study and learn about an ancient Spiritual belief that was untainted from other religious beliefs of the world and much older than any other belief system in the world. The Christian missionaries also failed to tell our Wardumathanha that in their culture there were different religious views and opinions how one should worship their God and Jesus, for example, some say worship on Sundays whilst others say worship on Saturdays, some say speak with tongues other say don t speak with tongues, some are Catholic whilst others are Protestant, some religions say Jesus was the Son of God whilst others say he was merely a prophet, and some people do not believe in any religion at all. 143

5 Westerly 54: 2 If our Wardumathanha knew of such different opinions they would have told the missionaries that until such time that their people come into agreement on such matters we will maintain our ancient beliefs because such different opinions can easily divide our peoples; which today is the case because our people are now divided in their different Christian beliefs, and other Religious beliefs. For me personally, I choose to follow and believe in the ancient beliefs of our Wardumathanha, but these are my personal beliefs and I will respect others by not imposing my beliefs on to them; all I ask is that people will show me the same respect. I have studied the other religious beliefs of the world and I have found greater comfort and peace of mind in our Ancient Adnyamathanah Yura Mudha (beliefs, customs, traditions, laws) because I know my Wardumathanha are watching over me as I journey through life and that one day I will once again join them in Wikurtanha. 144