Water Serpent – Galaru Snake
‘The serpent is resting here on Gooniyandi Country, this story we got it now, it is recorded for everybody to share this story’.
Senior Gooniyandi Elder Mervyn Street shares his grandmother’s and mother's songline story that traverses Gooniyandi Country in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
I’m saying in my language: first time, [this place] is named ‘Shorbet’. Not Mount Frank.
And that Snake came all the way and buried here.
And that place where another Snake went back to Killagua Spring, and laid all the eggs there.
I’m telling a story about this place. My Mum told me a story about this Snake and she showed me the track and it's buried there now. This whole Jimblany Kandaji, this is all bottle rock.
And I’m here telling a story. About my Mum’s story about my Grandmother’s story that was passed on to me. And I’m here, got all the family, they’ve come to listen to my story. And what I’m saying now, they will keep that story.
They’ve got em, what I’m saying now. They won’t forget. I got family here.
Because it’s for my family, it’s for everybody’s family. This part of my story is for… they [Nyikina] got a story, when we tell that Serpent’s story, all the way from right down from somewhere [bottom of Fitzroy River catchment], came this way and it's here. It's buried here.
Water Serpent – Kalurru Snake, buried here.
This story is for all of us. Through songline, it’s for all of us. That’s why I’m here telling this story.
