Marrnyula Munuŋgurr
Buku-Mitjun
Image Size: 65.6 x 50.3cm; Paper Size: 84.7 x 67.2cm Hahnemuhle

ID: 3087-25

As told by the artist:

The Miyalk are going into the bush to look for Ganguri, the bush yams. They are carrying Wapitja, their digging sticks. The end of stick is sharpened so that we can dig a hole to collect the yams from under the dirt. We look for the right leaves to know where the yams are. Ganguri is a Dhuwa plant. We sing this plant, and there is a dance about it too. There is a special and sacred word for when people go to collect yams. We call it Buku-Mitjun.

As told by Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr in the publication Miḏawarr/Harvest;

This is the most famous yam, also known as Maṉmuŋa and sung by the Gälpu. It is the one that everyone loves to eat and lots of people still hunt for. In the Miḏawarr season they will return to the known patches where Ganguri are harvested every year.  When they dig, if it’s too small they will put the yam back. Then if they dig and it’s a bigger one they pull it out but deliberately leave some behind so it will grow again. When we say that we are natural farmers this is what we mean. We break the yam a few centimetres from the top where it connects to the vine and cover it over again. We will return a few years later and we will re-dig that plant from the same hole. This is known as niyarrŋ. Year after year we eat from the same plant as we remember our old harvest.  Yalukul are the leaves and the little seeds of the Ganguri when they all entwine together in a big canopy and when they turn a yellow brown colour it is called galaḏay’ and it is a  message from the plant to the women, “I am ready come and get me.” The pigeon Gukguk sings as well to let us know the time has come.