I am working on a pre-contact Paakantyi love story with a wlw Aboriginal female lead.
Here is some background information:
In traditional Paakantyi life, as part of maintaining matrilineal society and kinship systems, many family groups travelled up and down the Paaka (Darling River) to visit other groups on other Lands. There are nine groups belonging to the Paakantyi nation, and each member of the groups adhered to the structures of moiety, or tribal divisions. This determined how knowledge and teachings were passed on; custodianship of Country; kinship; and marriage.
With the Paakantyi, there are two tribal divisions based on two Ancestor Beings: Makwarra (Rain Wind – West Wind) and Kilpara (Cold Wind – East Wind). They each were tasked by Kurlawirra (God), with creating a few different animals. Makwarra was the first Wedge-tailed eagle. Kilpara was the first Crow. Makwarra’s and Kilpara’s creations would be the waRnka (totems) of the people. The people whose waRnka belonged to Makwarra could not marry others who belonged to Makwarra. The same was true for people whose waRnka belonged to Kilpara. They had to marry someone from the opposite side.
These structures meant people often had to journey along the river to find a mate outside of their direct kinship links. These were times when whole families would travel away, in hopes that their sons and daughters would be able to make a love match; either on their own, or with the person they were ‘Promised’ to. Often, when these matches were established, the person who had travelled would need to return to the lands of their Country to undergo their rites of passage before a marriage could take place. When that happened, the lover who was leaving would make a promise to return. They would sing a song, perform a dance, or draw artwork in the sand telling of their journey and their promise.
I want to tell a story based on the premise of a young woman travelling down the river with her family, so that her older brother could meet his Promised one. When she gets there, she is old enough to spend time in the Women’s Camp. This is where they share stories, learn new skills, and meet future family connections.
While in the Women’s Camp, she meets another young woman. They spend the whole time together, and eventually fall in love. When it is time to return to her Lands, the woman makes her promise to her Nhuungku parlayi in the form of a poem:
Nhiinta
Thika-apa kiirayi-Ri
Karingku-nhangki; Nguukatuma parlu-alpa-ili
Muka muka mirrityana
Mirrimpilyi.
Nhiinta wurakayi.
Nhuungku parlayi.
Nganpa-ayi.
Manta-ngimapa-inthu.
Let go.
I am going back to my Land early in the morning.
Soon, we two will sit listening.
Silent.
Out in the sunlight. Happy and contented.
Let go, My Friend.
My Companion.
My Love.
Wait for me;
I will return to you.