Welcome to My Country

Welcome to My Country is a young adult nonfiction book in which author Laklak Burarrwanga introduces readers to her native Aboriginal community of Bawaka on the very tip of northernmost Australia. Coauthored with Dr. Sarah Wright, Dr. Sandie Suchet-Pearson, Kate Lloyd, and Burarrwanga's sisters and daughter, this volume offers both the story of the land and its people, and a memoir of Burarrwanga's extraordinary life and work for Aboriginal rights. In 2013, Allen & Unwin published Welcome to My Country, and the following year, the Children's Book Council of Australia awarded it the Eve Pownell Award for Information Books.

"Come and spend some time with us at Bawaka," the authors write. "Get a taste of what it is like at different times of the year, and listen to our stories."

Each of the book's eight chapters focuses on different aspects of Bawakan life. The first, entitled "Gapu," which means “water,” discusses how there is a system for everything in the Yolngu culture. This helps people understand the world and their place in it. There is meaning everywhere you look. "We can go anywhere and see a river, hill, tree, rock telling a story," the authors say.



The second chapter, "Miyapunu," which means “turtle,” talks about counting and sharing. The information dovetails with a detailed explanation of a turtle hunt and the hunt's importance to the Yolngu; the story is accompanied by a photo of a fully cooked turtle, the object of the storied hunt. To underscore the Yolngu belief that everything—people, animals, plants, the sea and land and air—are all connected, the authors talk about the symbiotic relationship all people have with one another and with the world and how sharing is an ingrained part of sustaining this belief.

In the chapter titled "Banumbirr," or “the morning star,” the authors explore Yolbu theories on astronomy and space. These are bound inextricably to Dreamtime, the Aboriginal understanding of the world, its creation, and the larger cosmos. Even looking at the moon is a sacred experience for the Yolngu. "When the moon goes past, you can see its reflection (in the water), like the inside of your heart."

The fourth chapter, "Gara," meaning “spear”—offers the authors an opportunity to explain Yolngu hunting traditions. It is also an avenue to examine "the sharp end of justice," highlighting Burarrwanga's advocacy for Yolngu land rights and for Aboriginal peoples to have a say in their children's education.



"Walu,” or “sun,” covers Yolngu beliefs about the sun, the moon, and the tides. Here, the authors recount the legend of the Seven Sisters, a pivotal piece of folklore in Aboriginal culture. Every night, the Seven Sisters (the Pleiades) go out in their canoe, followed by the three brothers (Orion's Belt). These seven human sisters and three human brothers are a link between the Earth and the sky, providing visual evidence of the Yolngu philosophy of the interconnectedness of all things.

The sixth chapter, "Baru," or “crocodile,” centers on the importance of rain, tears, and "the eye of the fire." Again, the water that falls from the sky and the water that fills the oceans are proof of our unbreakable bond with everything around us; after all, we too shed water from our eyes when we weep.

In "Gurrutu," the authors explore “kinship.” There are layers of connection and belonging for every person and every thing. A person need not ever feel alone in Yolngu society; there is room for everyone because, at the end of the day, there is only one collective spirit that unites us all.



The final chapter, "Ganguri," or “yam,” addresses Yolngu farming practices and bush foods. The Yolngu are, not surprisingly, resourceful hunters and farmers, with great respect for the land and the bounties it bestows. From the culinary delicacies offered by their land to their sustainable farming methods, the Yolngu possess an undeniable reverence for the gifts of Mother Nature.

A final portion of the book, "Djapana," or “sunset,” appropriately tackles the subject of endings.

Welcome to My Country weaves Yolngu stories and traditions with Burarrwanga's own personal history, once more demonstrating how interwoven everything in life truly is. The spirit of an entire people is on display here. The book is a celebration of all that makes the Yolngu unique and special, and by discussing the physical world of Bawaka, the authors discuss the source of their wisdom and their strength: the land itself. "In the Yolngu world, we have a library in the land," the authors observe. "You can't destroy it. If you burn it, it grows again. The land is full of more knowledge than you can imagine."



The book includes a glossary of common Yolngu words translated into English, as well as a number of color photographs and artwork.