Recording Martu stories
In early March, KJ started delivering audio recorder training sessions in communities. KJ’s Country & Culture team member, Tam (aka Lunkuta) visited Kunawarritji community where rangers, community members and high school students from Rawa School all came together to learn and practice on the new recorder.
Some students and rangers have already used recorders and it was great to see everyone in community come together to learn, practice and teach each other. As a group, we went through each step:
• Kurlka (ear): listen through the headphones to check the levels
• Kata (head): does the recorder have its ‘hair’ on (windsock)
• Ngana jii (who/what is that), ngayu (I, me), wanyja (where), and when: speaking these details is an important job as it forms all the metadata; and
• Yuti (visible): checking if the story has permission for everyone to listen.
Everyone took turns at using the equipment or speaking, telling a story for practice, kurnta wiya! (don’t be shy!).
There were important conversations about what people really want to record this year, taking the recorder on trips to use on-country, and that everyone — all Martu — have a story and ninti (knowledge) that is important to keep so children and grandchildren can continue to listen into the future (marlajanuku-janampa).
Doing training like this is important so that more and more people feel happy and confident to use this equipment to record their own stories, both young and old. Having Martu in control helps keep Martu ninti and wangka (language) strong.
Due to the Coronavirus travel restrictions face to face training is currently on hold. KJ plans to undertake this training with everyone in Punmu, Jigalong and Parnngurr with video-conferencing. Audio recorders have been delivered to eachcommunity for all Martu to capture their own stories, with their family in community, or when out on-country. These stories will be stored in the KJ archive and available for future generations.
