David Mowaljarlai

In the Mungu Place area in my country on the Roe River side, the Nungu started the law. The native cat Kandiwal started the law and he died here. The woman Mulu Mulu put body painting on herself. All over the country the people said “Hey! You’ve got no right to put paint like this on your body. That is for young people.” And they kicked her out. “Get out” they said, “This is a law place only for aborigines. You should not have sprayed white paint all over – that is for young kids”. So she went down towards the saltwater country to Prince Regent (Gumallalla) and Roe River. She went to Murunga. It’s a shelter cave with very hot stones. She named that place. “I will sit in this hot stony place and become a painting here, because I was kicked out by the law men. I am sorry I used the young people’s painting” she said. She wanted to be painted with her legs wide open forever, so free wind can blow in me forever. “I can be fresh and I will start making objects like the coolamon bush bucket for my future people. Then I will take food into the saltwater mangroves and put it there – witchetty grubs and all that food for the coming generations.” That is what she did. Some people, the Jingargi Jingargi spear people, heard what had happened and they brought her presents of spears and stone knives. “I am happy, and I can open my legs wide open. It’s only for grown-up adults who will ever see me in this painting because I was kicked out by the lawmen. I’ll pay them back this way and I’ll show them knowledge and wisdom, so they will understand.