Ten Canoes

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away...

No, not like that. I'm only joking.

But I am going to tell you a story.

It's not your story...

it's my story...

... a story like you've never seen before.

But you want a proper story, eh?

Then I must tell you some things

of my people, and my land.

Then you can see this story, and know it.

This land began in the beginning.

Yurlunggur, that Great Water Goanna,

he travelled here.

Yurlunggur made all this land then.

He made this water...

... and he made this swamp,

that stretches long and gives us life.

I come from a waterhole

in this land Yurlunggur made.

I looked like a little fish

in my waterhole.

Then my father came near my waterhole.

I asked him for my mother.

I wanted to be born.

My father pointed out one of his wives.

That's your mother, he told me.

I waited until the right time...

... and I went just like that, into her vagina.

Then my father had a dream.

That dream let him know she had

a little one inside her.

That little one was me.

When I die, I will go back to my waterhole.

I'll be waiting there, like a little fish...

... waiting to be born again.

You didn't know all that, did you?

But it's a true thing.

It's always like that for my people.

Now we have to find where this story is,

this story I'm going to tell you.

We have to go back longtime...

... back to the time of my ancestors.

...

Ssshhhhhh... listen now...

... I can hear them coming,

my ancestors.

This wise looking one is Minygululu.

Then his younger brother Dayindi,

and then the other ones.

Too many names to remember.

Everyone stop!

That one is Djigirr.

Djigirr talks too much,

but maybe he heard something.

I refuse to walk at the end.

Someone ahead keeps farting.

- Not me! Not me!

- It's you again!

- Not me! Not me!

- You're always so silent!

- Silent but deadly!

- You're always so silent!

- Admit it!

- All right... it's me.

- You're rotten inside!

- I'm rotten inside.

- You're rotten inside!

You get to the end of the line.

C'mon let's go.

The ancestors are making canoes

for goose egg hunting.

They cut the barks off the trees

and they talk about women,

like always.

How did he go with her?

Did they do it?

- She doesn't want him!

- You must be blind!

- She doesn't want him!

They make fun of Dayindi.

They know Dayindi likes the young wife

of his brother Minygululu.

This is first time

Dayindi hunts the magpie geese.

There are many things

Dayindi hasn't seen before...

... and there is much for him to learn

on this hunt.

- Let me show you.

- I can manage.

- Let me show you.

- Sure.

- Who was that man?

Never mind him...

...some sort of sorcerer.

I hear...

...you're keen

on my wife?

The young one?

Roll it this way...

...carefully.

Minygululu knows it's true

about his young brother's wrong feelings.

I'm going to tell you a story

from long ago

and I want you to listen

very carefully.

The men will carry the barks

to the swamp.

Minygululu will tell Dayindi that story...

... to help him live the proper way.

It is Minygululu's story

for Dayindi back then.

And it is my story for you now.

It is a good story bu yo gotta listen ha?

Maybe this story will help you live

the proper way, eh?

And here is that story.

It is a long, long time ago.

Dayindi is still a little fish in his waterhole.

All the ancestors, that Minygululu, and Djigirr

and even the old sorcerer,

all of them, little fish in their waterholes.

All their fathers, and their fathers before that,

are still little fish in their waterholes,

all over this land, waiting to be born.

That's how long ago this time is

that we are in now.

You can see how old it is.

The time that we see now

is after the beginning.

It is after the big flood came

that covered the whole land.

Look at that flood! You can nearly see it we are so long ago now.

It is after Yurlunggur, Great Water Goanna,

and named the trees

and named the birds

and named the plants

and named the people.

It is after Yurlunggur

gave the old ancestors

the ceremony of the Djunggan,

which gives us the law we all learn.

It is after the people learnt

to live to that law...

... after then, but a long, long time ago.

And in that ancient time,

there lived an ancient ancestor.

This ancient ancestor was called Ridjimiraril.

Ridjimiraril was a warrior,

a proud one.

He had wives, and children,

just like we have now.

And he followed the law,

which is same law as the law now.

The stories of our people are very old

and sometimes they take days to tell.

Minygululu is telling Dayindi

some of the story as they carry the barks.

Proper trees for canoes

grow far away from the swamp.

In the water at last.

Nice and cool on my feet.

The storytelling must stop for a while.

There is more work to do

before the men hunt the geese.

They must put the barks in the water,

to soak.

One bark already soaked

is put on the fire, to make it hot and soft.

The story of Ridjimiraril can go on.

All right now...

That ancestor back then

had three wives.

- Just like you do.

- Yes.

Ridjimiraril's first wife

was called Banalandju.

Banalandju was wise

and she was important.

She was a good wife.

Okay, bring it here.

The bark is almost ready.

They must cool it down

to make it easy to bend.

Dayindi learns by watching.

That is the way we do it

with our people.

But we better keep this story going...

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