This story is the ancestral knowledge of the Marri Ngarr Ma Thawurr Yek Kungarlbarl peoples, and as such it contains more than one layer of meaning. As well as the literal story, the narrative relates to the law and spirituality of the Marri Ngarr people. The literal story tells of an emu family moving through the country, with the parent emus finding bush tucker along the way, and sharing it with their chicks. Eventually they make camp at Ngarnmarriyanga, the dreaming place.
The text is in Marri Ngarr, with an English translation below. The Foreword explains that it is not a direct translation, but broader, to allow English speakers a better understanding of the story’s open meaning. The literal translation and other linguistic information are available from the publisher. The book is accompanied by a sound recording of the text in Marri Ngarr, and there is a DVD of the book available as well.
The illustrations are computer-generated, compiled from photographs. The page borders contain elements from the acrylic paintings of Maxie Richard Jongmin, described as the Clan Artist. Each double page spread has the text on one side and illustrations on the other. There are no white spaces. Instead each page is filled by the illustrations.
At the end of the book there is biographical information about the language custodians and the Clan Artist, plus more information about the people and the country, including a map. There is also a list of Marri Ngarr words and their English translations, and a guide to Marri Ngarr pronunciation.
Series title: Ancestral Knowledge, unnumbered three-volume set
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
