Trial 15 - 14th April 2009, Dhanggal teaches the Yolŋu Studies Class from Gove

Trial 15 Galuru 140409

On Tuesday morning Michael flew to Gove to work with Dhäŋgal. Around lunch time they went to find a suitable place for the evening’s session. There were several options on Gälpu land. One was Lombuy, close to Birritjimi where Dhäŋgal lives. But this area is closed because of a death last year, so not suitable.

We tried the top of the hill called Nhulun in the middle of Nhulunbuy, but when we Skyped John in Darwin, the video cameras weren’t powerful enough to give a good view of the country Dhäŋgal wanted to talk about. Also it was very windy which made the sound difficult.

Nhulunbuy Lookout Tower test 1

Nhulunbuy Lookout Tower test 2

So we decided to go down to the beach at Gäluru. We did a quick test from the beach and it seemed to work well, then we climbed the sandhill where some of Dhäŋgal’s family had returned from crab hunting. We had a feast

Crab afternoon tea

Galaru kids

Under the tree at Galaru

and returned to Birritjimi to wait for the teaching session. We sat for a while on the beach near a table where the kids sit looking out to the rocks in the water

Birrititjimi

When we went back for the teaching session at 6 o’clock, we took Miliminyina Dhamarrandji (whom you met at the Wallaby Beach session from the 24th) as company. We found the kids still there from the afternoon hunting.

Setting up at Galuru

While we were waiting, we met some young women from Katherine here for a holiday. They were interested in learning about the project and about Yolngu language

Innocent bystanders

After a few minutes the Skype call came though from Darwin

Call coming through

The session went well. At one stage Dhäŋgal’s phone rang, and Milminyina answered it for her. “Your grandmother is busy teaching.”

The phone call

By the end of the session it was getting dark and the sandflies were making a meal of us, so we went back to Wallaby Beach. Unfortunately, the recording process in Darwin failed, so this is the only record we have of that session. We decided to try again the next day with the Yolngu studies conversation class.