Nakodjok Namanilakarr

This is the Kunwinjku eulogy given Thursday 28 June 2012 at Emmanuel Church Kunbarlanja for the funeral service of Nakodjok Namanilakarr. It includes a [somewhat free] English translation.

Composed by the Rev. Lois Nadjamerrek and Indigenous Engagement Officer Donna Nadjamerrek on behalf of the Nayinggul family.

Ngundimanjbun ngudberre bu karridjarrkraworrinj bolkkime, Kunwinjku kunu karribekkan nuye karriyolyolme nuye bu kurduyimi bu kondanjkunu ngarre kunred kore nabarrkid dja Urningangk kunred bedberre ni.

They [the family] wish to thank you all for coming together today to listen now in Kunwinjku as we tell you something about his life here in this country and in his other home country, Urningangk language country, which belongs to them, his family.

Karriburrbuni nungka bu korrokoni dja durrkmirri kunwern bu yahwurdni yiman kayime rey yiwarrudj, kornkumo dja ngalbadjan birridjarrkrey konda bu korroko bu kodjdjuhmeng dja confirm yimeng dja Ngalkamarrang benemarrinj kondanj kore manih church.

We all knew him and how over many years he worked in many different jobs and did many things, starting from the time as a child he came to this church with his father and mother, was baptised and confirmed long ago here and then married his wife ngal-Kamarrang here in this church.

Wanjh korrokoni teacher yimi kore durrkmirri Kunbarlanja School dja nawu biyawmey Nawakadj Nangalngbali benedjarrkdurrkmirri.

He became a teacher and worked here at Gunbalanya School together with his nephew, na-Wakadj of the Ngalngbali clan. They both worked together.

Wanjh durrkmirri Northern Land Council field officer benbidyikarrmi Balanda dja Bininj birriwokbekkarreni bu kunredken dja mining-kenh. Nungan yeledjyeledj karrebekkani kore kunkukbelekenngarre wanjh mankarre benmarnemulewani bu kamak mankarre birrimarnbuni bedman, kore ngad bininjken.

He later worked as a Northern Land Council field officer helping Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to communicate with each other in relation to Aboriginal land and especially things to do with mining. He considered all these issues from European people carefully and thoughtfully and communicated to us, we Aboriginal people, the issues that needed to be sorted out and decided on.

Nungka durrkmirri kunwern kore ngarre Djabulukku Association dja mak Kakadu National Park. Bu mankarre karrenahnani dja karremarnbuni kaddjarrkberre rowk yiman karriyime karriyarlborolhme wanjh karrimarnbun manyarlkudji. Wanjh kumekbe yimi kunmayali nuye dja dabbarrabbolk bedberre birribuyika. Benbukkani Balanda ba kamak kabirrikarrenahnan kadberre munguyh. Nungka ni dja worhnani kore Kakadu National Park Board of Management kunkuyeng durrkmirri bu kunmekbekenh, bu karriyolyolme nuye bolkkime.

He worked in many different positions, including for the Djabulukku Association and Kakadu National Park. He cared about cultural issues and sought to bring things together [from both cultures] for all of us. An analogy is in the way we roll the strands of string together to make one single strong strand. That was his thinking and that of other old people, to also teach European people to always properly respect our culture. He sat for a long time on the Kakadu National Park Board of Management and many of the things we are talking about today concern the time when he worked there.

Kunbuyika mak kore mayhkenh, nawu mankarre bininj, nang dja benbukkani nuye bebeywurd dja mawahmawa nuye dja mamamhmamamh. Burrbuni Morak, Lorrkkon, Mardayin, Wubarr dja mak bolkkime karrikarrme yiman kayime duwa, yirridjdja. Benbengyolyolmi dja benrayekwoni ba bu birrimurrngrayekni bedman deleng bu kabirribalbukkan wurdurd bedberre wali dja namud nawu kondanj karrihni.

Another area concerns Aboriginal ceremony and Aboriginal law and cultural practices. He attended ceremony and then went on to teach his own children and grandchildren about those ceremonies. He knew things about the Morak, Lorrkkon, Mardayin and Wubarr ceremonies as well as those ceremonies we still have today, relating to the Duwa and Yirridjdja moieties. He taught others to act decently so they would be strong together and able to in turn pass on knowledge and a good way of living to the next generations of family who live here together with us.

Ngayeman yiman ngawokbekkang nganmarneyolyolmerrinj naweleng bu bininj nabuyika bidjawani “njalekenh kuni nuk bu yiwernhburrbun kunbalandaken dja ngad bininjken”. Nganmarneyolyolmeng nawu kangkinj, yimeng “Ngudda yiburrbun Nabulanj nawu Nakalarrdju? Nganmarnbom bu ngankangemurrngrayekwong kore kurorrbbe ngawokdi, kore Bininj Balanda bedberre. Ngabenbidyikarrmi kunred konda Kunbarlanja dja mak kunred ngarduk.”

I heard a story that he told me himself about someone who once asked him how it was that he had so much confidence and facility in both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal worlds. He, my nephew, said to me, “Do you know that na-Bulanj man of the Kalarrdju can? He helped me become like this, giving me confidence to be able to speak in public before both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. I’ve tried to help people and the country here at Gunbalanya and also in my own country.

Djal bonj. Ngundiwoknan bu bolkkime. Bobo karriyime rowk.

That’s all. Today, they say farewell to you. We all say goodbye.

Indjalarrkku_01

music © Tommy Madjalkadj, Indjalarrkku kunborrk, mermaid songs.