Have high-speed internet? Switch to High-Speed

Videos load too SLOW? Switch to Low-Speed

Mayaringbungu A Beautiful Mind

About

26 April 2012

18391 views

A EULOGY & COMMEMORATION—a collection of songs, stories and country featuring Ned Mayaringbungu Cheedy, drawn from the archives of Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation as tribute to the life and work of Mayaringbungu, elder of the Yindjibarndi people, Western Australia, 1906-2012.

While we mourn the passing of our great elder, the Cheedy family and Yindjibarndi elders feel strongly that the life and example of Mayaringbungu should be celebrated and remembered. From Mayaringbungu we learned about being straight with our country and our spirit—his story is one that offers something beautiful and strong to our young people.

Like a treasure, he brought us the knowledge of our ancestors. This film is a small window into the miracle of Ned’s vast knowledge of Yindjibarndi history and culture—a taste of one hundred years of knowledge—knowledge that carries us into the wirdard [spirit, feelings, heart] of the old people.

Mayaringbungu was the greatest champion of, and remains the inspiration for the Yindjibarndi fight against the aggressive divide and conquer attack of iron ore miner, Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), which has destroyed our ngurra for mining—without our consent! FMG refuses to pay fair compensation to Aboriginal Traditional Owners whose country and heritage they obliterate. They want cheap access to our land so they can fulfil their “Vision & Values” of frugality, and their aim to be “The lowest cost, most profitable iron ore producer.”

We will not be tricked or bullied into selling out our future. Mayaringbungu told us to defend our dignity against such greed; and that our nation will survive long after iron ore is finished.

The example of Mayaringbungu as a family man, a teacher and a voice of the Yindjibarndi people is precious. He had faith in the Lord and in the power of Good.

Rest In Peace juju… thankyou for sharing your spirit and knowledge with us.

NED’s STORY
My Ngaarda name is Mayaringbungu The whitefella name that was given to me when I was born is Cheedy. I was born on the banks of Cheedy Creek or Jirdinyungu. This was the original Cheedy Station and is where I got my name from. Hooley Station as it is now, Winyjuwarranha, became the homestead much later.

My parents are Nyirdinybangu (whitefella name Brumby Ned) and Mabii. I am the second eldest in the family.

The station birth records say that I was born in the 1906 – I don’t know the year that I was born but what I do know is the people I grew up with. My childhood friend was Old Pat, who later became my brother-in-law, then became my Birdarra Law brother. We went through Birdarra Law at Buminyji, the old Ration Camp. Me and him been kids together and grew up at Buminyji with all the old people.

When I was a young boy I travelled this country Ngurra from end-to-end with my parents and many of my other extended family. As I became older and finished Birdarra Law the old people continued with my teaching, learning me all about Yindjibarndi. These old people gave me the confidence to be a carrier of the Yindjibarndi country. They taught me always to understand the Ngurra because it tells me who I am and where I come from. I became very knowledgeable about my country, culture, language and Birdarra. This teaching gave me a better understanding of what it is to be Yindjibarndi and to carry the Yindjibarndi way of life to the next generation.

When I became old enough to work for the Whiteman I worked long and hard like my fathers taught me. I spent most of my working life in Hooley Station, but when I was a young man I moved around a lot working from Station to Station, from Winyjuwarranha (Hooley) to Bardirrinha (Coolawanyah) and Thambirri (Tambery), and I also spent sometime working at Miliyarndunha (Millstream). But in the end Hooley Station is where I would always end up until I was no longer needed.

Every chance I could get with time off, I would always go back to Buminyji Ration Camp, to visit the family and friends where all my people were staying at that time. For all of us in this generation it was a time of oppression and we suffered. It was such a disorderly and disruptive time; many of my people were undervalued. I remember these times and I always speak of the hardship and struggles we faced— living under government control and the laws of assimilation. We had no rights; the only thing that kept all Yindjibarndi happy was knowing that we could stay in our country, our Yindjibarndi country.

THIS VIDEO WAS PRODUCED BY
Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation
The Juluwarlu Archive—a collection acclaimed as the most significant of its kind in Western Australia—preserves Ned’s oral histories along with those of many other Yindjibarndi elders who have led the cultural mapping program at Juluwarlu, recording every sacred site, our Yindjibarndi history, language, stories, and songs. This archive has enabled the production of many books, videos and cultural projects, including preparation of the Yindjibarndi #1 native tile claim.

www.juluwarlu.com.au
media@juluwarlu.com.au

See more

More from this channel: yindjibarndi

    • 15m 54s

      kids culture camp chirratta 1987

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      KIDS CULTURE CAMP CHIRRATTA 1987 SYNOPSIS
      The Kid’s Cultural Camp was organised by a group of mothers and grandmothers—Violet Samson, Tootsie Daniel, old Elsie, Nanna Bobby, Pansy Hicks, and Anne Wally—and community workers Martin Duyker and Julie Shepherd. The video of the Camp was made by Frank Rijavec with the help of Glen Toby, Davis Hicks and Bob Hart.

      Read more

      uploaded date: 27-08-2015

    • 23m 13s

      Mayaringbungu A Beautiful Mind

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      A EULOGY & COMMEMORATION—a collection of songs, stories and country featuring Ned Mayaringbungu Cheedy, drawn from the archives of Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation as tribute to the life and work of Mayaringbungu, elder of the Yindjibarndi people, Western Australia, 1906-2012.

      Read more

      uploaded date: 26-04-2012

    • 54m 53s

      Exile and The Kingdom Part 1

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      In the beginning, when the world was soft, Creation beings lifted the earth out of the sea. Then the world became hard — Colonisation, slavery, mining booms. This is the story of the Aboriginal people of Roebourne — their Law, their tribal voice, their survival.

      Read more

      uploaded date: 24-04-2012

    • 55m 28s

      Exile and The Kingdom Part 2

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      Multi award-winning feature documentary in two parts. Made with the Yindjibarndi, Ngarluma, Banyjima and Gurrama people of Roebourne, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

      Read more

      uploaded date: 24-04-2012

    • 43m 10s

      Wanggangarra... that which gives life

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      The title means ‘that which gives life’. Wanggangarra is a film about family histories, relationship & respect amongst the Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma people of the west Pilbara, Western Australia.… Read more

      uploaded date: 18-05-2011

    • 31m 20s

      KILLER KANE Part II

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      Written by acclaimed Australian playwright David Milroy, this remarkable piece of theatre tells the story of two brothers set against each other over interests of family, country and native title.… Read more

      uploaded date: 23-04-2011

    • 31m 42s

      KILLER KANE Part I

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      Written by acclaimed Australian playwright David Milroy, this remarkable piece of theatre tells the story of two brothers set against each other over interests of family, country and native title.

      Read more

      uploaded date: 23-04-2011

    • 8m 27s

      Juluwarlu Journey

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      Story about the genesis and work of the Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation cultural archive and media centre – using media tools to give a voice to the Yindjibarndi people of Roebourne in the Pilbara, Western Australia.

      Read more

      uploaded date: 19-04-2011

    • 2m 46s

      Song For Country FMG Want To Destroy

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      Clip from the feature documentary "Exile and The Kingdom" (1993). Gambulaynha Song travelling over the Hamersley Ranges – country Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) want to open up for their Solomon Hub project.

      Read more

      uploaded date: 19-04-2011

    • 47m 4s

      Swine River

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      Set in the Pilbara of Western Australia, Swine River is the story of an Aboriginal group’s bitter experience dealing with an iron ore company that wants to mine its country at any cost.… Read more

      uploaded date: 18-04-2011

    • 29m 41s

      FMGs Great Native Title Swindle

      uploaded by: mardawud

      channel: yindjibarndi

      This is a record of an illegitimate ‘native title’ meeting (16 March 2011) sponsored by the iron ore miner, Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and its CEO, Andrew Forrest, the richest man in Australia.

      Read more

      uploaded date: 18-04-2011