‘Tamarra: A Story of Termites on Gurindji Country’ is the creative result of a collaboration between thirty First Nations and non-Indigenous contributors.
The book is the product of the coming together of art and science and is a stunningly original work. It uses the storytelling and the artwork of the Gurindji people to take you inside the lifecycle and social structure of termites and their importance in the Culture of the Gurindji people, especially in the relationship between babies and grandmothers.
There are interesting facts such as termites have four different types of termite poo all with important uses or that a warm paste of ground termite mound is rubbed over a Gurindji baby to strengthen its body and spirit. Tamarra or termite mounds are full of minerals important to the health and well being of humans especially in early childhood and its use is an important part of bush medicine.
The text uses the Gurindji language, Gurindji Kriol and English and it provides a colour code to distinguish the various words. There is also a QR code placed cleverly on a small drawing of a termite mound that leads to an audio version of the Gurindji language. There are glossaries, maps and photographs not only of termites but also of the people involved and the creative process involved in the stunning artworks that abound throughout the book.
At the end there is background information about the Gurindji Country and people and the historic significance of the 1966 Wave Hill walk-off undertaken by the Gurindji people. There is also information about the Gurindji and Gurindji Kriol languages that are a significant part of the book.
The Tamarra project is described as bringing ‘together intercultural and interdisciplinary perspectives of termites through artmaking, storytelling, field research, microbiology, ecology, cultural practice, bush medicine, educational workshops, language and dialogue’.
This is a highly original science picture book that is sure to fascinate many.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
