THE STORY OF A MAN TRAPPED IN A CLAMSHELL

This traditional story is published in Iwaidja. It includes English translations and comes with a narration on audio CD. Iwaidja is a highly endangered language spoken mainly at Minjilang on Croker Island in northwestern Arnhem Land.

The story is about a hungry man who goes out alone to harvest clamshells. He gets trapped, drowns and is turned into a rock. The rock, which is visible today at low tide, is situated just around the north point of Minjilang Bay.

The story is told by Joy Williams Malwagag, who remembers it as her mother told it to her when she was a child. The traditional owner of the story and the part of Croker Island where it takes place is the Marndildarri clan. Anyone wanting to go around the point should ask someone in authority who knows about the place. If they go without knowing, they might bring down disaster on themselves and others.

All profit from sales of this book will go to the Iwaidja language team for recording and publishing their endangered cultural knowledge. Your support will help maintain the linguistic and cultural diversity of northwestern Arnhem Land.

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