At the base of the bidhu they began to collect purple berries when, all of a sudden, a GreatBuru approached them and said, “Those berries are not yet ripe.”
The GreatBuru jumped closer and said, “Follow me and learn about the land. Let’s go for a walk.”
Great Buru showed the boys different plants on the mountain. He explained the difference between edible and non-edible fruit. He explained the different seasons. He explained how to track animals for tucker by looking at their footprints – badhaalima, burnaaga, ganagubadh and birdhuulay. He explained the importance of ganji and showed them how to use it. Ganji is good for the bagan. Ganji gives us life. He taught the boys a dance that honours all life on the land.
Finally Great Buru told the boys that we must only ever take what we need because if we don’t then there will be nothing left.
The Great Muriyira showed the boys the different marra She explained that some marra are marra are not. She explained the migration of different species – warrabugan, warigala, dhagala. She explained how to with garawad, nets and traps. She you need to She taught the boys
The boys thanked the Great Muriyira for teaching them about the sea. The Great Muriyira took them back to shore and called upon the GreatMarida.
The Great Muriyira showed them the bunbal on the land where the Great Marida lives. The boys walked over to the bunbal .
When the boys got there the Great Marida said, “Climb up my great tree and I will teach you about the laws of this land.”
Once the boys climbed to the top of bunbal the Great Marida explained that there are some boundaries where you cannot go. He explained that there are gimbanya-waraga and ngaranggal-baraga places. He explained that some places are very sacred and that no one should go there unless they have permission from the gamara-waragabamuladha-waraga.
He finally explained that every person on this land has a totem: a sacred animal that you share a special relationship with forever. He explained that people should never eat their totems. He taught the boys a dance that honours these laws of the land.
The boys then carefully climbed down the tree with the Great Marida and thanked him for teaching them.
The boys began their journey munggura.
Walking down the djaadjawan and then over the bidhu, underneath a forest of bunbal-baraga that milumba with wisdom in the baliya.
They walked upon the land differently now, with a renewed sense of wonder, curiosity and respect. Most of all though, they felt more connected, they felt they belonged.
When the boys got munggura, they told their family all about their adventure. They shared the knowledge they had learnt that day, and for the rest of their lives they followed the rules and taught their yuwinj the way.
Glossary
ba and badhaalima wallaby
bagan earth
baliya north east wind
bana rain
barrabarra sea
barraaran snapper
bidhu mountain
birdhuulay bandicoot
bumulaga morning
bunbal tree
bunbal-baraga trees
burnaaga goanna
buru kangaroo
dhagala flathead
djaadjawan sand
gamara-waraga old men
ganagubadh echidna
ganji fire
garawad fishing spears
gimbanya-waraga men
marra fish
marida sea eagle
milumba shimmer
muladha-waraga old women / old people
munggura home
muriyira whale
ngaranggal-baraga women
warigala mullet
warrabugan whiting
wayalad-baraga black cockatoos
yuwinj Yuin people
This edition published in 2025
First published in 2024 by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation Gadigal Country, Level 17/207 Kent Street Sydney NSW 2000 ilf.org.au
Reprinted 2025
Copyright © Vincentia High School
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations) in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Cataloguing-in-Publication details are available from the National Library of Australia www.trove.nla.gov.au
Print ISBN: 9781923179219 eBook ISBN: 9781923179486
Typesetting and design by Mary Callahan
Printed by RR Donnelly Asia Printing Solutions Limited
This project was supported by First Sentier Investors
Long, long ago, after the Dreaming, two Yuin boys go exploring on a bidhu (mountain) in search of food. They meet with animals of the bagan (land), barra barra (sea) and (mirriwarr) sky, who teach them about being on Country, connecting to the land and to each other.
Written by two boys aged 12 and 13, TheBoysWhoFoundTheirWay words from the Dhurga language of the Yuin people of the south coast of NSW.
