| Minang | Menang |
|---|---|
| English | Whale |
Mamang (whale) is an important wardan barna (sea animal). An alternative name is Menang from the Minang or Menang people.[1] Other spellings for mamang include mamong, marmoong, maamang and mimeng. There are Nyittiny Yarns (otherwise known as Dreaming Stories) involving mamang. These are foundational in the spiritual association Noongar have with boodjar and the barna and other elements in it.[2] [3] This is embodied in strong connection to boodjar.[4] Different types of mamang are known to have frequented the wardan around Noongar boodjar. These include Humpback Whale, Sperm Whale, Southern Right Whale, and Blue Whale.[5] The Humpback Whale song - - is an example of what people can hear when these barna are close to shore.[6]
Mamang has provided seaonal daatj (meat) for people, and djerany (fat/blubber) for their skin. The whaling industry introduced by Wadjela (white people) brought employment opportunities for Noongar. It also contributed to changes in Noongar practices which had been carried out for a very long time. Alteration to the following of seasonal patterns for hunting is an example of this.
Seasonal Daatj
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The presence of a mamang is especially important for Noongar during Kambarang (October and November, late-Spring). The traits of seasons can vary between boodjar. This Kambarang refers specifically to the kongal (south) and lower yirel (west) parts of Noongar boodjar. Mamang migrate kongal down the coast at this time of year. Several groups of Noongar would gather danjoo (together) in a week-long celebration if a mamang beached. It was appreciation that the mamang was “a gift from nature.”[7] They would dookooniny (roast) the mamang daatj or ngaarn (eat) it dardang (raw). The Noongar would also naab (rub) themselves with the mamang djerany.[8] Djerany naab on skin had a moisturising effect. It protected skin from cracking and drying in the sun. [9] Noongar were not seafarers so did not actively ngardang (hunt) mamang. They instead made use only of the beached mamang.[10]
Nyittiny Yarns
editThere are Nyittiny Yarns connected with mamang, stories which are deeply significant at a spiritual level for Noongar. Two such yarns are shared here.
According to Noongar elders, the islands of Carnac (Ngooloormayup - "place of little brother" - in Noongar), Garden and Wadjemup were created when the oceans swept in and separated them from the mainland.[11]
When wardan levels rose about 10,000 years ago, the mamang were given a special role in boodja. The wirrin (spirits) of koolangka (children) were trapped ngardakan (beneath) the rising wardan. The only way for these wirrin to return to boodja was through the mamang. It is said that whenever a mamang calf was born one of the wirrin attached itself to it. Eventually the mamang would beach itself at the correct place to return the wirrin it was carrying, so wirrin kalak koorliny (spirits home going). The Noongar maam knew when the mamang were coming and would prepare a daap (ceremonial knife). When the whale was beached, the daap was used to cut open the mamang. Then its ngoop (blood) would wash into the boodjar, and the people would be moorat (satisfied) that the wirrin had karo-koorlakiny (returned). [12]
Mamang
editThis is yarn from Minang boodjar. It is where Albany is located. Sometimes Albany in called Kinjarling (place of the rain). There can be more than one name for a place in Noongar boodjar. The story tells of a booraka mandi Noongar (brave young man) who travelled across the wardan in a mamang. The Noongar squeezed the koort (heart) of the mamang, making it cry out and dive deep into the wardan. The Noongar began yedi-walanginy windang yedi (singing old songs) which his mamaan (father) taught him. It was a song to make a mamang kangowiny (carry) you on a very special journey. After a long time far from boodjar in the mamang in the wardan and much yedi-walanginy, the Noongar heard the mamang scrape against boodjar. Noongar boodja djinang (man land see) through the mamang miyal (eye). Noongar came out of the mamang and met new people far from his own boodjar. These people celebrated him after his big journey and wanted to hear his yedi. After some time they all journeyed back to his own boodjar where he is celebrated. [13]
Changes After European Settlement
editAs Wadjela brought their way of life into Noongar boodjar, changes occurred in some of aspects of Noongar life. Some of these changes can be seen as useful. However, other changes negatively impacted on living in connection to country as freely as before, and working in tune with nature's seasons.
Noongars had contact with whalers visiting the kongal coast before the late 1820s when Wadjela permanently settled on boodjar.[14] Once Wadjela were settled on Noongar country they opened various whaling stations. These were located on the kongal coast in Mineng boodjar, up around Wardandi boodjar's yirel coast, and also at Walyalup in Whadjuk boodjar.
Unseasonal Dietary Habits
editNoongar did not have mamang daatj daily. It was intermittent, depending on when a mamang beached. Wadjela whalers wanted mamang mainly for oil and baleen. They left the mamang daatj for Noongar. The whaling season ran between May and September, a time when Noongar were normally inland as it was a kwop time for yongariny (kangaroo hunting), and to avoid heavy coastal rains. However, as mamang daatj was easily available at the coastal whaling stations, Noongar began camping nearby for several months at a time instead of being inland. While having the mamang daatj regularly was appreciated, this situation impacted on regular seasonal behaviour. Mamang daatj would be scarce in poor whaling seasons or if a whaling company had financial difficulties. Then Noongar would go back inland and have missed out on some of the usual inland seasonal daatj and meriny. Sometimes they found Wadjela had made a farm or cattle station back inland. Boodjar had been changed and new barna placed there.[15]
Noongar Whalers
editNoongar maam (men) worked as whalers, and yorga (women) were sometimes crew members. It may have been that at first when Noongar worked for whalers, it was in exchange for mamang daatj. Later, Noongar along the kongal coast were paid the same wages as their Wadjela co-workers. Around on the yirel-kongal coast, where there were more Wadjela, Noongar whalers were paid less.[16]
Marriage and Relationships
editSome Noongar yorga became more selective about who they would marry. Noongar whalers were often given more respect than those who weren't whalers, as they had monetary income and were seen to have a higher status. Noongar were not traditionally seafarers, so it seems that to go work out at sea and hunt large wardan barna would take a lot of courage.[17] There are also many instances where Wadjela and African whalers developed long term relationships with Noongar yorga. The whaler would go away, and come back for the whaling season, and each time would be with the one yorga. Some stayed permanently. Sometimes these relationships produced koonlangka.[18]
Ngiyan waarnk
edit- ↑ John Dobson. "Albany, WA's oldest colonial settlement, to officially adopt joint Noongar names". ABC Great Southern. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020
- ↑ Spirituality. Retrieved 23 October 2018 from Kaartdijin Noongar - Noongar Knowledge website.
- ↑ Noongar of the Beeliar (Swan River). Video retrieved 25 September 2018 from Kaartdijin Noongar - Noongar Knowledge website.
- ↑ Connection to Country. Retrieved 23 October 2018 from Kaartdijin Noongar - Noongar Knowledge website.
- ↑ Cetaceans: Species found in Australian waters. Retrieved on 23 October 2018 from Department of Environment Australia website.
- ↑ Humpback Whale Song on the Southern Ocean Feeding Grounds - Implications for Cultural Transmission. Retrieved 5 November 2018 from Wikimedia Commons.
- ↑ Whadjuk Noongar, Personal communication, 2018.
- ↑ Kambarang (Oct-Nov) - Feasting on Mamang. Retrieved 26 September 2018 from Nyungar Wardan Katitjin Bidi - Derbal Nara website.
- ↑ Traditional Aboriginal Bush Foods - 1. Retrieved 4 November 2018 from Aboriginal Culture website.
- ↑ Meagher, S. 1975 The Food Resources of the Aborigines of the South-West of Western Australia. Retrieved 1 October 2018 from WA Museum website.
- ↑ Vivienne Hansen and John Horsfall. "Get well soon, the Noongar way". Australian Geographic. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2019
- ↑ "When the Sea Levels Rose - Dr Noel Nannup". Retrieved 25 September 2018 from Nyungar Wardan Katitjin Bidi – Derbal Nara website.
- ↑ Scott, K., Woods, I. and Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project. 2011 Mamang. Crawley: UWA Publishing.
- ↑ Tilbrook, L. 1983 Nyungar Tradition: Glimpses of Aborigines of South-West Australia 1829-1914. Crawley: University of Western Australia Press. Out of print book. Retrieved 2 October 2018 from AIATIS website.
- ↑ Gibbs, M. 2003 Nebinyan’s Songs: An Aboriginal whaler of south-west Western Australia. Aboriginal History 27:1-15. Retrieved 1 October 2018 from Australian National University website.
- ↑ Gibbs, M. 2003 Nebinyan’s Songs: An Aboriginal whaler of south-west Western Australia. Aboriginal History 27:1-15. Retrieved 1 October 2018 from Australian National University website.
- ↑ Gibbs, M. 2003 Nebinyan’s Songs: An Aboriginal whaler of south-west Western Australia. Aboriginal History 27:1-15. Retrieved 1 October 2018 from Australian National University website.
- ↑ Tilbrook, L. 1983 Nyungar Tradition: Glimpses of Aborigines of South-West Australia 1829-1914. Crawley: University of Western Australia Press. Retrieved 2 October 2018 from AIATSIS website.