| Coordinates WGS84 | 16°28'S, 125°43'E -16.47, 125.71 |
ILI1948P102F3
Title: A photo of a message stick from Ion L. Idriess' "Over the range" (1948)
Description: Photos of two sides of one message stick fig (3) on p. 102 of "Over the range" by Ion L. Idriess
Message: A Walcott Inlet message-stick threatening reprisals which led to a 'Declaration of War.' Above [fig.1]: 1. These men of the Upper Charnley, Calder, and Isdell river tribes are warned, by 2. These particular warriors of the Big Ngarinyin. You have killed our hunters right up at the heads of the Three Rivers, have even come low down to the true Ngarinyin country and killed our men at the Lower Crossings. Now don't dare come Lower down than the middle of the Three Rivers. If you do, we warriors of the Bigger Ngarinyin have sworn to kill you, to chase until we catch and kill you. Below (Reverse side) [fig. 2]: 1. Calder River. 2. Isdell River. 3. Charnley River. 4 and 5. These men you killed at the Upper Crossings. 6. These men your murderous tribe killed at the Lower Crossings. (p. 102)
Creator of Object: Sender: "warriors of the Big Ngarinyin" Recipient: "men of the Upper Charnley, Calder, and Isdell river tribes" (p. 102)
Date Created: 1948
Notes on date created: terminus ante quem
Item type: image of a message stick (artefact missing)
Subtype: traditional
State/Territory: WA
Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Ngarinyin Austlang: K18 - Ngarinyin Glottolog: ngar1284
Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with the Big Ngarinyin tribe. Relevant language areas: Ngarinyin Relevant locations: Charnley [Ngarinyin], Calder [Ngarinyin], Isdell River [Ngarinyin]
Cultural region: WA_kimberley
Semantic domains: sd_activity_kill, sd_person, sd_person_dead, sd_person_group, sd_place_country, sd_place_river, sd_warning
Coordinates: 16°28'6.898800"S,125°42'32.000400"E (-16.468583, 125.708889)
Notes on coordinates: Approximate location of Upper Charnley River
Media Files:
Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Piers Kelly