Buluwana, female ancestor, at Dilebang
Buluwana, female ancestor, at Dilebang
Artwork by Balang Nakurulk

This artwork is associated with Dilebang

Hear the pronunciation of Buluwana, spoken by Ananais Jawulba
Year
1993
Medium
earth pigments on Stringybark (Eucalyptus tetrodonta)
Dimensions
150 x 85 x 10cm
Credit
Aime Proost Collection, Brisbane
Copyright
© Balang Nakurulk/Copyright Agency, 2025

Buluwana is a woman of the Ngalkodjok subsection. She lived at Ngandarrayo and Dilebang long ago. The bones of those people who lived there are still there today from the time when they died in a drought. The body of Buluwana, the mother, can be seen today transformed into a standing stone. I call that ancestral woman my aunt. That place is associated with the duwa moiety. The bones of the people who once lived there still remain at that place. When we go there today we can see that Buluwana is still standing there as a rock forever.

Buluwana daluk, ngalyungki, Ngalkodjok ni kure Ngandarrayo, Dilebang. Korroko. Djulng birrihdoweng birriboyakni, wanjh ngalbadjan dolkang kakukdjabdi bolkkime kunwardde. Ngayi berluh ngayime. Kubolkduwa bukka. Wanjh birrimarnburrinj djulng. Bolkkime bu karrire karrinan kadjaldjabdi munguyhmunguyh.