ngarukuruwala

Murrntawarapijimi -solo voice - Clementine Puruntatameri (pictured)

"Parlingarri yurruma Jilaruwi amintiya yurruma Takaringuwi kiyi japinari Murrntawarapijimi yiwatuwiriyi pinkaringini yuwurtiyarra ngawa-rringani ngiyatuwu tamarruwuriyi ngini wiyi ngiya-rringanuwi papuranjuwi wurima." The Jilaruwi (brolga) and Takaringuwi (mullet) tribes wouldn't cease their fighting. Murrntawarapijimi (Clementine's father-in-law) stood up in front of his people and said "if I let you kill me, will you stop killing each other?" A ceremony was held on the oval. He was speared in the temple. The fighting stopped and he is remembered as the man who brought about a peace and respect between the two tribes which continues to this day.

Murli-Murlila Love Song

Girl: "can I come across the sea with you?" Boy: "No. I can't have you even though I love you. You belong to someone else" Girl: "murli-murlila?" (please, I beg, can I come with you?) He left her full of tears on the shore. Murli- la can also mean "how 'bout we sneak off together for a while"

Francis, Leonie and Sheba

Twinkle Kirimpika

At a lunch break one day some of the ladies started singing these songs to amuse their grandchildren. The first is about Kirimpika the crab who gets eaten by Kitirika, the turtle and Yirrikapayi the crocodile who eats the lot! The second song you'll know.. a kids' favourite from way back. The ladies sing these to the kids to teach them Tiwi.

Yirrikapayi Crocodile Song. A dreaming story about the first crocodile people.

"Ngiya Kimarriyanginila". I am the crocodile man. There was a man who wouldn't share his land. The people chased him and speared him. He fell to the ground and crawled into the water and disappeared. What surfaced was not a man but a crocodile.

Ngawatu Ngimpitimati Nginta - Healing Song.

Kurukangawakawayi is the word repeated throughout. It is "music and harmony". Tiwi don't hum (spoils the voice) so this word is one everyone knows and lets people join in the singing even if they don't know the song.