Michael Naborhlborhl

Michael has painted this Kulabbarl scene, which is what we Bininj (Aboriginal people) call a billabong, where the flow of a river is blocked and builds up in the rain. Lots of fish are concentrated there, especially when the water starts to recede in the dry season. In small billabongs, we catch things like burd (freshwater bream), marrngunj (small eeltailed catfish) wakih (freshwater shrimp), kedjebe (file snakes) and ngalmangiyi (long-necked turtle). And in big billabongs, we go and get fish like namarnkol (barramundi), kuluybirr (saratoga) and manmakkawarri (catfish). Sometimes we see kinga (saltwater crocodiles). There are manimunak (magpie geese), djilikuybi (whistling ducks) and lots of other birds which we eat at billabongs. Here Michael has depicted kinga, namarddakka, namarnkol, burarr, wakih and kedjebe.
Manbu kulabbarl ngarriyime bu kudjewk mandjewk nawern kadjakdung wanjh kabore kore mankabo. Wanjh bu kabongurdme kabodadjme wanjh kamarnbun manlabbarl. Kumekke djenj kadjaldi kore kulabbarl.
Kulabbarl karri djenj yiman burd marrngunj wakih kedjebe ngalmangiyi kore kulabbarlyahwurd. Dja kore kulabbarlkimuk ngarrire ngarrimang namarnkol kuluybirr manmakkawarri yika ngarrinan kinga kayo kore kulabbarl. Dja kani manimunak djilikuybi dja nawern nawu mayhmayh kani kore kulabbarl.