Y A W URUEDITI ON
Country tells us when…
Countr tells us when…
Yawuru Edition
Written and illustrated b Tsheena Cooper, Mar Dann, Dalisa Pigram-Ross and Sheree Ford
Translation by the Mabu Yawuru Ngan-ga Language Centre with Dalisa Pigram-Ross
Some cultures around the world have four seasons that they look out for on a calendar.
Summer
Warany ngarrungunil warany burugabu gujarra-gujarra.
Buru yingarrjinngany. Wanggarrmurungujirra mirlimirligun.
Us Yawuru mob, we don't have four seasons that are told to us by a calendar. We have six seasons and Country tells us when they have arrived by what we feel, see, taste, smell and hear.
Yawuru yangarrjinngany gurdidi-gurdidi Buru yirr buru yinajulgan yardidi bana yimburlan nyambagun. Yangarrlanggan nyangajununyurdany yangarranguban, yangarrabaran, yangarrarlin, yinambanyjun, yirr yangarrligarran.
Countr tells us when…
We see ngugngug build in the north and we watch the gurlibil lay her jimbu high up on the beach.
ngugngug dark storm clouds gurlibil green sea turtle
Buru yinajulgan yardidi bana… Yangarrabaran ngugngug yimburlan gun-gabu yangarrabaran gurlibil yinaman jimbu janigun.
We feel manyja wula on our skin when we play in the puddles all over town.
It's Man–gala time.
manyja wula heavy rain
Yangarrligarran manyja wula yinyjalgun marrjugaja
barralagun nyangajunugun Rubibi. Nyamba Man-gala.
Countr tells us when…
We hear the nimanburr when they screech and fly to feed each night.
nimanburr
flying fox
Buru yinajulgan yardidi bana… Yangarrligarran nimanburr mardaly
yingarraman yirr dumbarr yingarrjun jarrinygun ngurra mayiyi.
We see wirdu nagula reaching the pindan ngarrangarra.
wirdu nagula big tides ngarrangarra cliffs
Yangarrabaran wirdu nagula yinanyan ngarragnarra.
The jarlangardi are good to hunt now they are fat.
Jarlangardi lidabarri yingarrjin yirr yangarrabangngaran gangajunuyi. Nyamba Marrul.
jarlangardi goanna
Countr tells us when…
We see biggest mob wiyawiya flying around.
We can smell the bubujina gardgu and the wattles that burst into flower.
Buru yinajulgan yardidi bana… Yangarrabaran manyja wiyawiya dumbarr yingarrjun.
Yangarrabanyjun bubujina gardgu.
wiyawiya
dragonfly
long-fruited bloodwood flower
We can hear the gudurrwarany flapping their wings.
It’s Wirralburu time.
gudurrwarany brolga
Yangarrligarran gudurrwarany walbgaja yingan. Nyamba Wirralburu.
Countr tells us when…
We see the ngamagarri chicks in their nests and we taste the nectar of the jirrbirliny.
white cockatoo
Buru yinajulgan yardidi bana… Yangarrabaran ngamagarri burndurabarri
jimbin marra yirr yingarrwirrigan niyarra jirrbirliny.
ngamagarri
We feel the nights getting cold so we go out camping.
Gumanyba shines bright.
Gumanyba
The Seven Sisters constellation
Gangajunu gamanin yagarrganda jalbingan. Gumanyba barr yinyjun gurrwalgun.
Everyone gets excited for the walgawalga that are getting caught.
walgawalga bluenose salmon
Nyangajunu yingarrjin mabu liyan walgawalgayi yingarranyan.
We spot the yari travelling up the coast to have her babies.
It’s Barrgana time.
Yari yangarrabaran gangajunu janimardaji ginyanggani guly yinaran. Nyamba Barrgana.
Countr tells us when…
We can feel yaman start to blow in the afternoon.
The low tides are good for going out onto the reef. Janga and wanggaja are tasty and good for eating.
It's Wirlburu time.
yaman
sea breeze from the west janga creek oyster wanggaja mud crab
Buru yinajulgan yardidi bana… Yaman yinambarrun ngurrangurragun. Nagula yinyjalin jimbilayinmabuyi yangarrgarndan barnanygun. Janga yirr wanggaja niyagurdany yirr mabu mayi yingarrjin. Nyamba Wirlburu.
Countr tells us when…
We cook up birndany on the rirrga because they are fat now.
rirrga coals
yinajulgan yardidi bana…
Buru
Yangarralurran birndany rirrgagun ganggajunu lidabarri miliya.
The gunurru are in flower and the yaminyarri are in fruit.
We hear the walag singing, calling for the rain.
Nyamba gunurru yingarrjinngany manyja bubu yirr yaminyarri yingarrjinngany mayi.
walag frog
We feel the rumarra get very hot on our skin and we watch out for jurru that are on the move.
It's Laja time.
Rumarra yingan narli bar lurlgugun yirr yagarrabaran
jurruyi gangajunu mulug miliya. Nyamba Laja.
rumarra sun
We look after Buru and Buru looks after us. It makes our bodies and our liyan strong and wirriya. Buru Country wirriya happy liyan feeling
Yangarrajalajala buru yirr buru yinajalajalan yardidi.
Yinamaguran jayida garrigan yirr liyan jirril yirr wirriya.
Calen
re, Broome.
About the Book
The Yawuru people are the traditional owners of the lands and waters in and around Rubibi (the town of Broome).
This book idea was conceived by educators Tsheena Cooper, Dalisa Pigram-Ross and Sheree Ford, who were inspired to share important cultural knowledge and language in a story that was both engaging and informative for children. They have used the medium of block printing to depict the imagery, layering the distinctive colours of the Kimberley as they move through the seasonal changes.
First Nations language reclamation is a vital part in ensuring the continuation of cultural knowledge and is a form of empowerment that helps build strong connections in communities.
About the Indigenous Literacy Foundation
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is a national charity working with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities across Australia. We are Community-led, responding to requests from remote Communities for culturally relevant books, including early learning board books, resources, and programs to support Communities to create and publish their stories in languages of their choice.
First published in 2023 by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation PO Box H328
AUSTRALIA SQUARE NSW 1215 ilf.org.au
Reprinted 2023, 2024
Copyright © Tsheena Cooper, Mary Dann, Dalisa Pigram-Ross, Sheree Ford, 2023 Yawuru Translation Copyright © Mabu Yawuru Ngan-ga Language Centre, Dalisa Pigram-Ross, 2023
The story and illustrations in this book contain traditional knowledge of the Yawuru people, and have been presented and published with the consent of the knowledge custodians. Dealing with any part of the knowledge for any purpose that has not been authorised may breach the customary laws of the Yawuru people and may also infringe copyright and moral rights under the Copyright Act 1968 (Australian Commonwealth).
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations) in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Cataloguing-in-Publication details are available from the National Library of Australia
www.trove.nla.gov.au
Print ISBN: 9781922592460 eISBN 9781923456006
Typesetting and design by Mary Callahan
Printed in China by 1010 Printing International Limited
Some cultures around the world have four seasons that they look out for on a calendar – Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.
Us Yawuru mob, we don’t have four seasons that are told to us by a calendar. We have six seasons and Country tells us when they have arrived by what we feel, see, taste, smell and hear.
Discover how the Yawuru people read the seasons in this beautifully illustrated book. TM
Listen to the story here
592460 781922 9 ISBN 9781922592460