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Mulungu’ Alick Tipoti
Mulungu’ Alick Tipoti
We’re never going to go back to the way we were. But that’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to speak our own language. Language is us.

If we want our languages to continue and be strong, they’ve got to be relevant. We’ve got to make them relevant. I’ve got to be able to go home to my great grand daughters and say, ‘here you are, here’s a song, in your language’ and for them to say ‘gee, that’s great, I
really like it’. And it’s even singing a modern song that they know.

If it’s not relevant and people say ‘well, what’s the good of it, I can’t talk to anybody, nobody understands me anyway’ that would be a pity. Really, for our whole system and culture to survive, we’ve got to make those gigantic steps.

John ‘Sandy’ Atkinson
FASTIL Vice Chairperson

‘Mulungu’ means ‘from the sea’ in the language Kala Lagaw Ya of the Maluilgal in Zendh Kes. This print shows a couple of hunters returning back to their island after hunting out at sea for Danghal (dugong) and Waru (turtle). The designs in the skies represent Zibazib (sunset) after hunting out at sea all day, or Bani (dawn), in the dark just before daylight. Both animals were speared using a
traditional method; using a Wap (harpoon) shown lying over the shoulder of the Buai Garka (hunter). Notice the Kuyuri (darts) speared on the back of both creatures.