Ŋaraka (Bones)
‘Dijan ola ŋaraka wani insaid la mokuy, la Yolŋu en la enimul. Dismob impotin la melabat en la mela houmlen.’
‘These are the bones inside the devil devil, Yolŋu and animals. These are very important to us and our homelands.’
The bones have their own songlines. When someone passes away they get the bones and they sing all day and then they bury them. That’s how they used to do it in the olden days. Then the boss one (junggayi) will make a totem stick for the grieving family. They cut a tree and paint it and decorate it with feathers. Then they dig a hole and stand up the totem sticks they painted. It stays there forever as memories for the family.’
– Wally Wilfred
$3,300