Methodology for Yolŋu Research
Garŋgulkpuy and Lawurrpa had been working with a group called the Community Harmony Project looking for ways to support ‘long grassers’ – Aboriginal people from remote communities who sleep in the long grass on the beaches of Darwin. Their report called ‘Yolŋu Longgrassers on Larrakia Land’ begins with the assumption that Darwin is the Aboriginal land of the Gulumerrdjin (Larrakia) people, and it is through the appreciation of this fact that longgrassers and service providers can work together to make life easier and safer from longgrassers and the community.
This research project opened the whole question of research methodology – the methods which Garŋgulkpuy and Lawurrpa had used were quite different from conventional research methods. They sat down with Darwin Indigenous researchers, Lorna Murakami-Gold and Terry Dunbar to make clear how Indigenous research methods differ strikingly from academic methods. Credible research with integrity begins with being the right people in the right place, remembering the right stories of where we came from, agreeing upon what we should do and how we should go about it, and what we should do with the ‘results’. This is how a successful group hunting expedition unfolds and how research should be conducted. More recently Garŋgulkpuy used this same research method to lead an Evaluation of a Health program at Galiwin’ku.
The word, ‘mel-ḻakaranhamirra’ means ‘to acknowledge, identify’ and also a person who has the right kin network with groups/families who are against each other in trouble. [Birrinymal] Waymamba Gaykamaŋu translates the word in English as a legal defender. They are a group of kin who support you and stand up for you when you are in trouble. They will jump in to help settle the trouble or argument so that you will live peacefully.
Methodology for Yolŋu Research
by Garŋgulkpuy ga Ḻäwurrpa
for the First Language Community Harmony Project
Working with Lorna Murakami-Gold and Terry Dunbar
assisted by Michael Christie
CDU 19/4/05
Introduction:
One of the ways in which the Yalu’ Marŋgithinyaraw research methodology can be shared with Aboriginal people from other communities, languages and traditions, is for storytelling about methodology.
Garŋgulkpuy and Ḻäwurrpa talked with Lorna and Terry about research methodology and how they might document it before they visited Maningrida and Tiwi.
In a session with Michael they prepared the story below. Michael worked on the translation and notes. Then Garŋgulkpuy and Ḻäwurrpa took the first draft home and brought it back with corrections the following day, and with diagram below.
Dhuwalatjan Dhukarrkurr Yuṯay Yolŋuy Märram Djambatj
| Yolŋu dhäruk | English translation | Comments |
| Warraw’ŋurnydja, Yirritja dhu nhina Wangurri, Warramiri, nhina dhu yäkuŋura warraw’ŋur dhärulŋur ga balthaŋur | Yirritja people, of Wangurri and Warramiri clan groups will be sitting under a shade, which is called dhärul or baltha. | maḻŋ’maram gämurru (finding the point) – different groups can mix together but they all have their identities, even their shades have particular names which link them to their clan groups. |
| Waŋanhamirr dhu ga Yolŋu miyalkkurruwurr ga ḏirramuwurr rrambaŋi, nhälil walal dhu marrtji. | They will talk, the women and the men together, discussing which direction they will go. | dhäruk bakmaram – there are many different things to do and ways of going about them. The work we do needs to be negotiated |
| Dhäruk-bakmaranhamirr dhu ga, nhäkurru walal dhu mala-gulkmaranhamirr marrtji. | They will listen to each other’s ideas, and decide how they will split up and go various ways. | Problems need to be discussed properly, and work needs to be divided up properly. |
| Ŋunha walal dhu wäŋa nhäma raŋi, ga ŋunha walal dhu wäŋa nhäma ḏiltji. | Some will be looking down to the sea, others across to the bush. | People have a process that can link in. |
| Raŋi nhäma maypalwu, ga bala ḏuwatthun marrtji nhäma ŋathaw ḏiltjipuygu. | Looking at the beach thinking of shellfish, or going up to the bush looking for bush food. | räl gäma – they are collection information through the process |
| Ga ŋayi dhu ḏirramuwurrunydja bitjan bili marrtji djambatj gäma, raŋilil gapulil, ŋarkula nhäma, ga ḏiltjilil. | And those men will always take their skills down to the beach, looking at the water, and into the bush. | Different people have their different skills which need to be coordinated together. |
| Miyalktja dhu marrtji märrmaw’ matha-yal’wu ga gonyil’wu raŋilil ga ḏiltjilil ga gonyil’wu. | The women go to the beach to find both meat and carbohydrate and to the bush for carbohydrate. | Women collect and gather information, nurture it, find out, they use feedback. |
| Ga ḏirramu dhu marrtji matha-yal’wu yän, ga yänan muka gukuw guŋga’yun miyalkkurruwurruny. | And the men will go for meat, and maybe help the women in honey gathering. | Men give information and help women with sorting, strengthening with whatever outcomes they are trying to achieve. |
| Ga beŋuruyiny walal dhu roŋiyirra räl gäman ga nhina walal dhu ga ŋunhiliyi warraw’ŋur, gurrupanmirr walal dhu gumurr-djulkmaranhamirr, bala mala-gulkmaranhamirr ŋathany, nhä mala walal märraŋal. | Then after that they will return and bring back what they have gathered, and they will sit together in that same shade, and they will share, giving across to each other, and dividing up the food, whatever they have gathered. | guŋga’yunmirr – when the work is done, it needs to be shared again properly in the proper ancestral shades, according to family lines. |
| Bala walal dhu mala-gulkmaranhamirr barrkuwatjthirra, roŋiyirra marrtji wäŋalila, bala gurrupan ŋunhala bala gurruṯumirriwnha wiripuwurrnha. | Then they will split up, and go in different directions, returning home, and back there, give food to all their other kin. | räl-gurrupanmirr – it also needs to spread out into the network of kin in different places. |
| Bala walal dhu ŋunhi marrtji dhäkay-ŋupan. Wanhaŋuwuy dhuwal? Ŋunhaŋuwuy bala. Go limurru marrtjin! Nhä, goḏarr’ limurru dhu marrtji? Ŋula nhuma ga djälthirr. | And they will taste it carefully.Where did this come from? From over that way. Come on, let’s go! Should we all go there hunting tomorrow? If you would like to. | rom-ḻakaranhamirr – all the others in different places will examine what has been done, and may ask to. |
| Yo—w Marrkapmirr, Yukuyuku! Waku! Yapa! Walal dhu gurrpanmirr ŋunhili, räl-manymaknha ḻakarama, wo djambatj-ḏumurr ŋunhi ŋayi dhu märr-ŋamathirra ŋuruŋiyiny dhärukthu malaŋuy. | Yes! Beloved little brother, daughter, sister. They will call each other by their right kin terms there, congratulating each other for their hunting skills, telling them they are good shots, they show affection with those words. | guŋga’yunmirr – this work allows people to be proud and supporting of their kinfolk. It makes family groups stronger. |
| Mayali’ ŋayi ŋunha, napurru yolŋu ŋunhi ŋanapurru yirritja wo dhuwa, ŋurruŋuny napurru dhu nhäma, nhaliy ŋanapurruny ŋuli marimirriyam, wo ŋayaŋu-wutthun. | This all means that we Yolŋu whether we are Yirritja or Dhuwa, we need to have a look at whatever it is that’s giving trouble, or making us upset. | dhäruk-bakmaranhamirr – the hunting story tells us how to go about problem solving research. |
| Bala ŋanapurru dhu waŋanhamirra, wanhaŋur ga gämurruy’ marrtji ŋunhi mari, yolthu ŋunhi ga gämurru’ bokman? | Then we will talk together, discussing the source of that trouble, who has created this issue? | Discussing the problem together is the important step. |
| Beŋuruyi napurru dhu gurruṯumirri ḻuŋ’maranhamirra ḻakaranhamirra dhuwal dhuwal dhuwal dhuwal gämurruny’. | So we have to collect all our kin together, and talk to each other about this thing. | Build partnership, good relationship, working in a collaborative manner will meet our outcomes. |
| ‘Nheny manymak dhiyak gämurruw?’- nhakun ŋayaŋu-wutthunamirriw gämurruw. | How are you feeling about this thing? – the thing which is worrying them. | Responding to the point/ problem/ issue |
| Wo wiripu yolŋu ŋayi dhu bitjan waŋa ‘Wanha nheny, yätjin yolŋu? Wo manymak nhe?’ Bala ŋayi dhu yuram nhanŋu, wo yaka’yun. | Or another person might say: “How are you going? Feeling bad? or are you okay?” and he will say yes to him or no. | In this process, people may support, encourage, consent |
| Nhina walal dhu waŋanhamirr. Nhälil limurru dhu marrtji? Mari djäma? Wo marrtji gurrum’thu romdhu? Nhä manymaktja dhukarr? | They will sit and talk together. What are we going to do about this? Sort it out with a fight, or treat the situation gently? What’s the best path to follow? | Sit and discuss together, come to agreement |
| Bitjan walal dhu warraw’ŋur waŋanhamirr. | That’s what they will be talking about under their shade. | These discussions need to be organised through family groupings. |
| Guŋga’yunmirra walal dhu. Ŋunhi ŋayi dhu marimirriyirr yolŋu, walalnydja dhu wiripuwurrnydja ŋoy- yal’maraman ŋanya yolŋuny, mari gulmaraman. | They will help each other out. If a person gets upset, the others will calm him down, stop the trouble. | Know and be aware of other people, have respect and trust. |
| Märr ga dhu marrtji ŋurikal marimirriwal yolŋuwal ŋayaŋuy-manymakthun. | So that he will be able to face up to that trouble maker with feeling good inside. | People need to be encouraged to face up to each other feeling okay about each other. |
| Bala ŋayi dhu maṉḏany dhurrwara-manapana bala ŋayi waŋan bitjana ŋunhi yolŋuny, “Way, nhä nhe manymak yän dhiyakun yolŋuw wo baḏak nhe ga ŋayatham nhanŋu yän?” | So he might bring them together, and he’ll say, “Hey, do you feel okay now about this person, or are you still holding something against him?’ | This draws in the expectation of the outcome and concludes the process. |
| Ŋayi dhu mak yolŋu bitjan waŋa. “Ŋe, baḏak ŋarra ga ŋayatham yän nhanŋu”. | Then maybe that person will say: “yes I’m still holding something against him”. | |
| Yalala ŋayi dhu yolŋuny buku-roŋiyirriyi nhanŋu. Yaka yän ŋayi ŋuli gunharra’yun ga bäy ŋayi dhu ŋamathirr yolŋu. | So that person will still keep going back to him. He won’t leave him alone until he feels better. | Don’t give up on. Keep working until it is sorted out. |
| Yalalaŋumirriynydja ŋayi dhu ŋunhi yolŋu, mel-ḻakaranhamirra nhanŋu gurruṯumirrinynha. | And later on that person will acknowledge his network of kinship. | Then they will be able to take their place as peacemakers in the community. |
| Mel-ḻakaranhamirra ŋayi dhu ga, wiripuny ŋayi li napuŋgan’ dhärra, bukmakku yolŋuw guŋga’yunaraw. | He will identify all his relations, and maybe he will then be standing in the middle, helping all the others. | Action and process will then work to achieve outcomes. |
Originally published with authors permission at Yolŋu Aboriginal Consultants Initiative https://www.cdu.edu.au/centres/yaci/resources.html
