Dreamtime Dance of the Imma Mudduwarra

(Mudduwarra means a specific part of the river) 

(Imma mudduwarra means whole of the river) 

The Guleeu Muboo Immumuddu Willa has plenty of Cherubim jurrumda for us to eat (yum yum yum). We are happy and dance. We dance and sing when the long neck turtles Glarrabullu are born and dig there’re way out from the sand and swim they jooble down into the mudduwarru, the deep water. And jooble into the deep water.  

White cockatoos, pink galahs are happy, dancing, singing by screeching their songs and eating the honey from the flowers in season. Time from the Cadjee Butt tree and Goonurunge figs the river birds of all sorts coming to eat the sweet nectar.  

The Black and white Ibis dance and happy to eat the baby oobbu bubba small cherrimbahs also the dark blue bill crane with black and white wings and dark bluey black long legs with red feet. They all dance and jump around squawking and prancing around happily to swoop in and eat small baby jarrumahs (baby fresh water prawns) or perch or tadpoles. (baby small Uba) 

The finches, wrens, zebra blue grey black and white finches and the scarlet two tone deep red spotted finches fly into eat the sweet honey from the flowers all along the Immumudduwarra in season, Cadjee Butt in season. 

These finches always in pair’s male and female courting and dancing feeding off the sweet nectar from the flowering trees in season Cadjebutt (melaleuca) flowers. When the flowers die the nuts grow into seeds and the scissor grinder (black and white small birds) fly in onto the branches laden with the pods to eat the soft seeds. Dancing and singing and twittering from the branches. 

The black and white pied geese (black one) sings happily when they find young waterlily bulbs (jumbungung) to eat from the swampland where they feed squawking and dancing with happy thoughts to feed their hungry belly’s (bingee). 

The Emu’s follow the plains along the river to eat the yellow emu tucker flowers growing on long tall shoots (2-3 foot high). When we see this happening it’s a sign when the yellow flowers are blooming and the Emu’s (gunnu ngunju)  will be growing fat for us they will be ready for killing with spears to cook underground (laulb) in a hole and lovely to eat. 

The women in our culture collect the long feathers (emu) for dancing (joonba), the medium feathers for the head bands and the small feathers to stuff into flour bags to make lovely soft pillows. In culture the women cut out the belly area of the emu and take out the liver, heart, sweet bread, flesh and the intestines stomach section to cook up for our elders (goo goo) mothers and fathers (gaga), gran (jaja) and grandpa (joogoos). 

All species of bird Diver ducks skimming along the Mudduwarra bank with beaks slightly open and drinking the water Ngubbu, scooping up small fish, perch and tadpoles as they are swimming along to fill their empty bellies (bingees). 

Its lovely to see the kangaroos hopping down to the water’s edge, looking from side to side for crocodiles (gwuanea). To see if it is safe to have a drink of lovely cool clear willa. They doodunn (hop quickly) up the banks of the river away from danger. When the cool winds start blowing there is a rustling sound, it is a sign for the birds the wild donkeys (Donkey sound) coming in to drink the water because they are thirsty and all in a hurry. 

Performance Year 10 students of Derby District High School, West Kimberley 2021

Storyteller Leena Fraser

Creative Director, Community liaison Katie Breckon

Assistant Director, Digital Media Ciara Kerr

Lead Puppeteer Gwen Knox

Soundscape Sam Newman and students

Props and Technical Support Alby Hunter, John Devenny, Simon Smith