Irriti ngurra Warumpila ngayulu nyinapayi. Pulinguru walpangku ngyunya yunpa pampunu. (A long time ago, I lived on the land of my people, Warumpi. From the mountains, the wind would blow and caress my face.)
In Pintupi-Luritja (English translation in brackets) – with assistance from Lavinia Heffernan.
(Maybe just like me, a long time ago, the old men sat on that same land of Warumpi. And felt the same wind on their face, while singing our Tjukurrpa (dreaming) songs. Surrounded by their families, listening to the wind, and not sad for home and country.)
(But maybe I’ll become an old man, and return to the place of my ancestors, to hear the wind, to sing our Tjukurrpa, to be surrounded by families, to hear my grandfathers Tjukurrpa, and to not be sad for home and country anymore.)
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Commissioned by Red Room Poetry for Poetry in first languages project, republished here with permission from the author.
Matthew is a Pintupi-Luritja/Irish man, hailing from Alice Springs but now calling Darwin home. Matt was awarded a National Scholarship from “Global Voices” (A Non-Government Organisation promoting international diplomacy). This involved undertaking research to develop a paper for publication on “Indigenous Economic Development”. As part of the scholarship Matt travelled to New York City to participate in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, where elements of the paper were included in the Global Youth Caucus’ final recommendations to the Forum. Matt was also invited to, and provided feedback in consultation with the United Nation’s “Global Compact” regarding Indigenous issues and corporate social responsibility policy. Now Matt is a regular contributor to IndigenousX, and the Northern Territory poetry/writing community as well as being a social commentator on Indigenous issues and NT politics.
Now matt is a regular contributor to IndigenousX, and the Northern Territory poetry/writing community as well as being a social commentator on Indigenous issues and NT politics.
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