Today’s dispatch is ‘Walpa’. Originally dispatched on 22 April 2016
Ngurrju-mayi-nkili?
Walpa is the Warlpiri word for wind.
When we lived in Calgary, we became familiar with what they call ‘chinooks’. A chinook is a mass of warm air that descends at great speed down the slopes of the Rocky Mountains resulting in a rapid increase in temperature.
Reading Joseph Conrad’s ‘The Nigger of the Narcissus’ I learned about the ‘roaring forties’. Hobart-wardingki (a Warlpiri suffix which means ‘denizens’) know all about the roaring forties, as do New Zealanders.
One of the most engrossing Spanish language books I’ve read, is Carlos Zafón’s gothic tale ‘La sombra del viento’ (‘The shadow of the wind’). It features a book-lover’s ultimate ‘hook’- ‘El cementerio de los libros olvidados’ (‘The cemetery of forgotten books’)
When wardapi (goannas) hear the sound of the karapurda they wake up from their hibernation slumber. Wirlititi (Emu-chicks) break out of their eggs and wildflowers begin to blossom.
Karapurda is a warm westerly wind which signals the end of the cold season.
During hot weather wirnpirliyi commonly form. In Australian English they are known as willy-willies. These are vertical columns of air that kick up a lot of dust and create a strong whirlwind and are also known as ‘dust-devils’.
Windhoek is the Capital City of Namibia. In Dutch ‘windhoek’ means wind or windy corner.
It is said that “A picture is worth a thousand words”. The same can be said about song lyrics, many of which are rich veins of meaning. Meanings either intended by the composer, or divined by the listener, or both.
Maggie’s farm- Bob Dylan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJxm58htzqc
…he hands you a nickel then he hands you a dime,
He asks you with a grin, if you’re having a good time…
Then he fines you every time you slam the door….
Subterranean Homesick Blues- Bob Dylan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGxjIBEZvx0
…Look out kid, it’s something you did,
God knows when but you doing it again…
…Walk on tiptoes… keep a clean nose…
You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows…
Some years ago two academics did a study on incarceration focusing on Yuendumu and Lajamanu. They concluded that fully 25% of Warlpiri people in gaol (or jail if you prefer) were there for victimless traffic offences such as unregistered vehicles and non-payment of fines (for slamming doors). Two days a month, court is held in Yuendumu. Fifty or so Yurntumu-wardingki spend an average of a full day waiting their turn to appear. Never mind if they have a job to do. If they’ve ducked away when their name is called, they are charged with “failing to appear” and an arrest warrant is issued. They’re in trouble for being in trouble. I recall one occasion when a group of men who had just finished a driving course went to apply for driving licenses at Yuendumu police station. They all got arrested and ferried to Alice Springs gaol. They had no ‘get out of jail’ cards, neither did they get to collect $200 when they went past ‘Go’ They had warrants out for them for something they did (God knows when).They soon learnt to know which way the wind blows.
The authorities avoid words like gaol or prison. They euphemistically refer to ‘Justice’ and ‘Corrections’. ‘Corrections’ is a loaded word like ‘reform’. It implies that something is wrong and needs correcting…. Again- Maggie’s farm:
Well, I try my best to be just like I am,
But everybody wants you to be just like them
Catch the wind- Donovan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8hjEYTpwE8
The cold strong winds of change are blowing over the Warlpiri Nation.
Some Warlpiri are trying to catch the wind. Many have given up. They know which way the wind blows.
Blowing in the Wind- Bob Dylan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwgrjjIMXA
How many years must some people exist,
before they’re allowed to be free?
How many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn’t see
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
The answer is blowing in the wind.
Ngaka-na-nyara nyanyi,
Jungarrayi