Ngarridurndeng Djokay
Going back to Djokay
The Warddeken Land Management rangers work on the Arnhem Land Plateau looking after the Warddken Indigenous Protected Area. In 2013 they located a rock shelter in the Mann River district called Djokay. Some of those rangers remembered going there as children, accompanied by their parents or grandparents. Linguist Murray Garde went there in 1993 accompanied by Kodjok Nawurrbbarn and Wamud Namok. Both those old men have now passed away. When we were there in 1993 we made audio recordings of Kodjok and Wamud giving a commentary on the history of Djokay and the meaning of the many paintings on the walls and ceilings of the shelter. Murray told the Warddeken Rangers about those old recordings. With the assistance of the Indigenous Heritage Program we all went back to Djokay in October 2013, taking the 1993 recordings with us. When we located the shelter, we played the recordings of those two old men telling us about this important place.
Nawu ngad Warddeken Ranger, ngarri-durrkmirri kore kunred ngadberre, kuwarddewardde ngarri-bolknahnan. Boyen ngarri-bolkngalkeng kun-wardderurrk Djokay ka-bolkngeyyo. Kun-kare ngarri-wam kumekke bu ngarri-yahwurdni, korroko, kobohbanj bani-bokenh na-kudji na-mardku dja na-kudji na-ngarradjku ngandi-bolkbukkang. Bolkkime ngandi-bawong berrewoneng. Bulanj Murray 1993 nungka dorrengh ngarri-wam dja banbani-wokmey dja bani-yolyolmeng Djokay bu korroko barri-wam barri-yoy kumekke. Dja mak bim kumekke bedda bani-bokenh bani-yolyolmeng bim bu ka-bimdihbimdi kumekke Djokay. Ngarri-bekkang, recording nungkah Bulanj banbani-wokmey wanjh ngarri-djawam bu kam-re kan-wokbukkan ngadberre. Boyen ngarri-djarrkwam ngarri-durndi Djokay wanjh ngarri-wokbekkang recording nawu korroko Bulanj banbani-wokmey kore Djokay wanjh ngarri-borlbmeng kun-red. Bu ngarrban-bekkang, yiman barri-yawoyhdarrkidni kore ngad, Djokay. Worro.
