Caprice by Doris Pilkington Garimara Read Free Book Online Page A

performances were solely European-oriented, the children always enjoyed the audiences.
    Instruction on survival skills and bushcraft remained a recreational activity. Whilst the speaking of traditional language was forbidden, and the women would never observe or participate in religious ceremonies, rites and rituals, the myths and legends would always be in their hearts and stored away in the back of their minds, awaiting that special moment when they would be recalled and passed on to others. To ensure this, Kate’s substitute and surrogate mothers who gave her maternal protection became her tutors. The forbidden topics were whispered in hushed tones in the privacy of the dormitory in the evenings or discussed on the grassy banks near the river under the shade of the huge river gum.
    Everyone was acquainted with all residents at the Settlement, so it was not uncommon to see groups of women and girls heading off in all directions to forage for berries, roots and tubers—this was a regular event every Saturday morning. It was almost a ritual when for at least once a week all females assumed their ancient roles as gatherers. The only difference now, however, was that women from the Kimberley, the Pilbaras and the Murchison were now gathering the traditional bush tucker of the Nyoongah people.
    Every year between May and October djubak or karnoeswere dug. These were highly prized as a food source, some were the size and shape of new potatoes. Bohn or borna, a small, red, sometimes hot root was plentiful, as were other smaller tubers and roots. Berries of all shapes and sizes grew in abundance—and had names like emu berries (their shape and colour were like emu eggs), gold swan, crown wooley and the largest of all, the sand-plain berries. They were the size of an oval-shaped grape. Nuts and seeds were gathered and shared amongst the inmates.
    During the summer months there were plenty of fish in the river, lonkies or wheppies and buguinge mud fish, and cobblers, and gilgies.
    The men and boys hunted for small game such as rabbits, porcupines and parrots and galahs. The camp people who lived some 300 yards from the compound kept kangaroo dogs bred specially for hunting kangaroos and emus.
    Family picnics or “dinner outs” were held on Sundays. Adults were queued up outside the kitchen servery counter to be given cardboard boxes of food. The contents were nearly always the same, mutton chops, bread, jam or golden syrup, tea, sugar and tinned milk. The men “robbed” bee hives and collected the wild honey while the women and children fished, dug gilgies (small freshwater crayfish) or caught lizards and cardars (goannas).
    Local bush foods were not the only things to be introduced to the people of the north by the traditional owners of this part of the country, the Nyoongahs. They also shared their myths and legends. There were warnings not to wander off in the bush alone or go too far away, for behind every Christmas or Moodgah tree a berrijal or a charnock may be lurking. Malevolent spirits such as mummaries or wood archies preyed on disobedient children who have not heeded warnings of the grown-ups and are caught wandering home at dusk or night fall.
    â€œWhen we came to a Moodgah tree at dusk we’d joinhands and run fast as we could. Don’t you worry, fear would boost your speed up one hundred percent,” said Kate.
    â€œWhen we went on these Sunday ‘dinner outs’, it was better to take as many children as you can—you got more food. We enjoyed the weekends very much and looked forward to them. No child was an orphan then.
    â€œBut one thing I shall fear and remember always is the mournful cry of the curlew or weelow. We were told that the bird was imitating the cry of a tormented, demented woman searching for her lost children,” said Kate shivering slightly. “I never forgot that legend.”
    Two years later the government decided that Kate and the other