17/07/2025
I thought I'd share a campfire story I wrote after seeing a wonderful Aboriginal Immersion experience whilst in El Questro, The Kimberley's of WA. It was wonderful. Hope you all enjoy it.
My “Injiid Marlabu Aboriginal Cultural Immersion”
(Disclaimer. This was an experience I paid for in the Kimberleys. This recollection is my own recollection, how I heard it, saw it and felt it. It may not be correct, but it is to the storyteller.)
I write this little story, with red, yellow, charcoal and white sand on my hands, causing a grainy keyboard experience. I have just enjoyed a two hour Aborignal immersion experience called “Injiid Marlabu”, an Aboriginal Cultural Immersion.
And that it was. I am currently at El Questro, WA a large tourist destination, Western Australia. El Questro is around 200 acres purchased and sold a number of times, in the north eastern corner of WA. (Approx 3,000km north east of Perth). I am staying here for 3 nights with many Gorges to see and have enjoyed the beautiful clear thermal spring pools, cooling off in sweet fresh creeks and enjoying warm 30c+ days.
The Injiid Marlabu. (Marlabu being Aboriginal for El Questro), was presented by 5 local family members consisting of the young 20 year old “Quarah”who greeted us at the meeting point. She is about 5’6” tall, very dark skinned Aborignal with jet black hair tied neatly in a bun, wearing sand coloured natural “Injiid Marlabu” crested shirt, with a rainbow serpent over the name. The Rainbow serpent was the beginning, and he made all the trees, the rocks, the land, the soil, the water on which they live.
Aboriginal culture was always a bit mysterious to me. I suppose, like many, I have been swayed by media reports and to be honest had an indifferent view to them, their culture, their plight and future.
In their culture, each child is given an animals “rye” or name before birth. During gestation, the father hunts and kills an animal. That animal name is then given to the child.
Nelson was the long necked turtle.
Quarnah was the black headed python.
Mary was the grey shark.
Shontelle was the kangaroo (or Wally).
These animal “ryes” are taken very seriously and they must adopt the characteristics of their animal. And they cannot eat their rye animal at any time. Mary spoke of becoming dizzy if she ate shark.
This Immesion was not to brow beat or divide anyone or anything. This family welcomed us with the utmost kindness, dignity and respect as they explained a small portion of how and why their lives have evolved.
Let me show you what I see through my eyes. It is pre dusk. It is about 28c, there is a light breeze which cools as the immersion continues. Large eucalyptus and local trees meld over my head and around me. The rock escarpments are quietly yellow, then orange, then red. As the sun set, I heard the sounds of nesting birds, I am sure about 7 varieties. It is warming to actually listen and hear their calls The trees are now black in front of a setting sun, and the glowing white of the moon is strained between the black spider web of trees, twigs and branches of the trees. The breeze is now cooling.....
Set before the 8 visitors, were lengths of bark with a large tree carved bowl, some smaller bark pieces with a “jibi” on it, which has specific significance for family. It is a long shallow bowl about 60cm x 30cm and is perfect for holding and carrying a newborn on their back or under the mother's arm. As the child outgrows the “bowl”, it is then used for carrying food or water or grinding flour from a tree from which they originally made damper.
Nelson, the youngest son of the “old girl” (his mother), tells us his mother had 15 children, 9 boys and 6 girls. 12 were born on country, near rivers or caves. The other 3 were born in the Native hospital at Wyndham. (I don’t know why).
Nelson is her youngest male child. He is a man in his 50’s, solid, about 5’11 tall, dark black skin, lips and eyes. His hair is short and partially greying. He also wears the “Rainbow serpent” sand coloured shirt. He is warm and welcoming and plays guitar with original songs written for his mother, those lost to youth su***de and gentle strumming during our immersion ceremony.
The main story teller is his wife Mary. She too is in her 50’s, about 5’9 tall, medium solid build, a lighter dark skin, dark curly hair held back by an olive green linen type head band. She too wears their rainbow serpent shirt. She speaks with a love of her family, her culture and an understanding of blending the two laws - tribal law and our common law.
Mary shows us and we feel examples of trees, bushes and boab (pronounced boyab) tree seeds which are white and the size of a ping pong ball which they boil for a long time to ease stomach upsets. If severe, they actually eat the sodden seed.
The examples of trees and leaves she shows us were leaves used for a tea, The small underdeveloped new branches are boiled to apply to aches and pains. The bark of another is stripped and boiled and boiled until it turns a burgundy red and is used for an antiseptic on the skin, just Iike iodine.
Their daughter, Shontelle is a lady in her 30’s, about 5’5” tall, large build with a medium dark skin, sunglasses and also in the sand coloured shirt. She speaks and welcomes us .
Mary explains to us the importance of all the elements of the country to them. The soil is placed in 4 piles before us. Yellow sand for strength, charcoal ashes mixed with sand for welcome, red ochre sand for independence and then a whitish sand for suffering. They wear these sands mixed with water for cultural occasions. All these bodily characteristics are indicative of their tribe where they are from. Mary explained that at the funeral the tribe belonging to the yellow sand for example, sprinkle it on the body in the grave and then encircle the grave and cry and so on. However, the white sand, suffering, must always be placed last on the grave.
Their culture tells them that at the beginning of their time, birds were here before humans and a number of different ones all sat around a very large stone and discuss such things as kinship, laws and all number of things. During this they ground seeds into flour and made a damper which they all shared. The emu , which they say comes from the east, was the last to eat. He was impatient and snatched it and flew away with it. He was punished by the rainbow serpent for stealing the damper and disrespecting the other birds and was banished to the heavens. Mary explained there is a large emu in the Milky Way sky, with its head pointing down, which is near the southern cross. Below the emu is a large black circle hole which represents the water.
Now, when I went to an astronomy evening in outback Karijini NP in WA one night, I was pointed out the stars that made the shape of the emu near the southern cross. And yes it really does exist and can be seen. I was totally engrossed in this connecting aspect Mary spoke of.
River Water - importance - healing by washing down children’s skin. They did this to each of us and it felt cool and refreshing . I imagined how it would feel healing and comforting sick children to which it was applied.
The water is their lifeblood - like the blood in our veins. Here in the Kimberleys at El Questro there are 3 main rivers. The Pentecost, the Chambrlain and the Durack.
The "old girl" had no vehicle, and met the very first afghan exploring the area. She would walk through well known tracks, to Wyndham ( 98 km away), Durack (118km away) and other towns to visit relatives.
You may know of the “Boab Prison Tree” at Derby, north of Broome, about 918km west away. There was unrest and a massacre, and The “old girl” witnessed the stabbing of a non Indigenous person. She was placed in leg irons, and a neck iron and walked, yes walked, to Derby and held in the Boab Prison Tree until the ship arrived to take her to Perth to give testimony in the trial. At the time her son was around 2. She returned when he was about 4.
Mary spoke of some statistics. She said that in WA there is only 5-6% are Aboriginal. However, at least 80% of their children are in care. She spoke of the high incarceration rates of Aboriginals, but especially youth incarceration. She laid no blame, but educated us that elders had noticed that whilst their teenagers were 14 or so, they mentally had the capacity of a 4 year old. Much research and inquiries were undertaken and these disabilities are due to foetal alcohol syndrome. So therefore, those affected children are now classified as having an “intellectual disability”. This, she says, may account for the high rate of children in care and incarceration.
She spoke of the “wok wok” bird, which flew down before dawn and after dusk and would take the souls of children if they weren’t very very quiet . (Now thats a way to get them to stay in bed!)
We were explained the significance of their smoking ceremony. There were two large metal fire pits both ablaze on our arrival. They placed quite a few bunches of local eucalyptus leaves which made a lot of smoke. They asked us each to come up and stand in the swirling smoke, turning around and bringing the smoke to us whilst Shontell had a small bunch of leaves she had wafted through the smoke and gently ran the branch leaves down our arms, torso and legs.
Whilst these ceremonies were conducted, Nelson was gently singing very nicely and playing his guitar with his own original songs about his mother and how she is missed, and the love of family.
Imagine the scene here. Orange to red rock escarpments in the distance, orange soil dipping off to the escarpment feet, white bark eucalyptus gums and a plethora of trees around, birds flying and heading for home and nesting for the night, with this dark dark skinned man gently singing songs that meant so much to him and his family, which he was sharing with us. Really special.
All of the elements are essential for Aborginals.
Mary spoke of how her “old girl” would warm her hands over the fire and place them on her children’s and grandchildren’s ears, so they may hear everything around and listen deeply. She placed further warmed by fire hands on their eyes , so they may see in front, behind and all around and watch carefully. She placed again warmed by fire hands on the heart, giving warmth to your heart to be pure and honest. Warmed hands were placed on my shoulders to be strong, and be able to carry the world and its worry on my shoulders. Then warmed hands on my elbow and knees to keep me standing strong and planted on this country. Mary spoke softly and deliberately, like a blessing, with warmed hands. I felt strengthened, accepted and appreciated. Really unique experience. This was done to all 8 guests. I watched and felt a quiet, still reverence .
“Poisonous relationship” leaves. Mary gave us each a special pair of leaves which faced away from each other. Each leaf was about the size of a 10c piece. These leaves represent the “poisonous relationships” within families. An example of which is Nelson is married to Mary. Nelson cannot speak to, or speak the name, of his mother in law, ie a poisonous relationship. They must not interact and must face away from each other, even when travelling. This also applies to daughter in laws, mother in laws etc etc. (I think its a great way of keeping the peace!). So after 40 years of marriage, Nelson has never spoken to his MIL or spoken her name.
Shontelle explains their deceased family’s spirit connection. They are all around us, and are told if they are frightened, or unsure what to do, call the family spirits and they will come and help you and protect you. Shontelle then let forth a long, rounded sound, showing us how they call their spirits when needed. It bounced and resounded of the red escarpment in the background.
Dreamtime - Boab bossy tree, rainbow serpent, turned upside down where the beauty underground and roots at the top. Funny relationship to Boab trees native to Madagascar in South Africa and they are here when part of Africa broke off and collided with the top end of Australia, therefore implanting the boab tree to the area.
It is now dark, the sun has set. It is hard to see, so small lights are illuminated to help gently illuminate the last of our immersion show.
It is concluded with a welcome any time return to their land and their family. We are wished good health and safe travels and an immense sincere appreciation for coming along and listening, hearing and experiencing a very special and unique culture.
Loved it. I feel educated, informed and far better for learning a small part of Aboriginal culture. Bravo.
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