| Coordinates WGS84 | 12°15'S, 136°54'E -12.25, 136.89 |
SAM_A_67912
Title: A message stick from Northern Territory held in the South Australian Museum
Description: CPM: "A message stick from Wondjuk to his partner, Baramala, in the ceremonial exchange cycle of Arnhem Land" SAM: Message stick 'Wondjuk' from the South Australian Museum
Message: «Bring me two bundles of ŋambi (stone-headed spears) in exchange for burrkuwurrku (ceremonial headbands) and ceremonial baskets from Yirrkala»
From: Wandjuk [Wondjuk]
To: Baramala
Re: Trade
Mountford (1956): Figure 66E, F illustrates a message stick sent by Wondjuk at Yirrkalla to his partner, Baramala, in the ceremonial exchange cycle of Arnhem Land.[fn:49: Donald Thomson (1949)(PK: Thomson, Donald F. 1949. Economic structure and the ceremonial exchange cycle in Arnhem Land. Melbourne: Macmillan.) has given us a full description of the economic structure and ceremonial exchange system of Arnhem Land. The stone-headed spears, nambi, asked for by Wondjuk, travel only in a northerly direction, while the articles from Yirrkalla, i.e. stone axes, ceremonial bags and feather ornaments, move in the opposite direction. The types of articles and their direction of travel are md1cated in Fig. 2 of Thomson's book.] [467]
Wondjuk is asking his trade partner, Baramala to send two bundles of stone-headed spears to Wondjuk. This bundle of spears will be repaid, in turn, by articles which Wondjuk will collect in the Yirrkala area.
The elongated designs, a, on the bottom of the obverse and reverse side of Fig. 66 E, F is a request to Baramala to send two bundles of stone-headed spears to Wondjuk; c refers to a ceremonial string, purukuk, of the dua moiety, in which white eagle down is twisted during manufacture, and d, a carrying basket for Wondjuk's wife. The short parallel lines on either side are decorations only. 469
Creator of Object: Wondjuk
Date Created: 1948
Notes on date created: Year of American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land
Item type: message stick in a collection
Subtype: traditional
State/Territory: NT
Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Dhangu Austlang: N192 - Dhangu Glottolog: dhan1270
Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is Yirrkala PK: Dhangu is the probable Yolngu variety associated with Yirrkala
Cultural region: TopEnd_arnhem_east
Source types: museum collection
Date collected: Date registered: 05. Dez 1983
Institution/Holder file: The South Australian Museum object identifier: A-67912
Collector: Mountford, Charles P.
Place collected: Yirrkala
Coordinates: 12°15'10.000800"S,136°53'30.001200"E (-12.252778, 136.891667)
Media copyright: The South Australian Museum
Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Yirrkala
Notes: This is the message stick described by Mountford on p467 of Mountford, Charles P. 1956. Records of the American–Australian scientific expedition to Arnhem Land 1: Art, myth and symbolism. Carlton, Victoria: Melbourne University Press. AR: Note in 'remarks' column of SAM register: "fig 66LF" label "Art, Myth & Symbolism" 65 ef (or cf?) 11.02.2026 PK: Previously CPM1956P470F66_EF Mountford wrote that "Whilst at Yirrkalla and Oenpelli I had to fly to Darwin several times on expedition matters. Each time I went one or more aborigines have me message sticks to deliver to their friends at Darwin. My procedure (after I had made a record of the message stick either by a sketch or a rubbing) was to write the meanings of the various symbols on a sheet of paper, wrap the paper round the message stick and enclose it in an envelope, on the outside of which I wrote the name of the recipient as a guide to my memory. When I delivered the message stick, which I did on all but two occasions, I was able to explain to the recipient the significance of the marks on the message stick by referring to my notes." p. 467. Footnote 49: "Donald Thomson (1949) has given us a full description of the economic structure and ceremonial exchange system of Arnhem Land. The stone-headed spears, nambi, asked for by Wondjuk travel only in a northerly direction, while the articles from Yirrkala, ie. stone axes, ceremonial bags and feather ornaments, move in the opposite direction. The types of articles and their direction of travel are indicated in Fig. 2 of Thomson's book." Figure designed by Jean Truran
Media Files:
Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Piers Kelly, Alexandra Roginski