welcome to barriyay
if you already know about the study and just want to share your thoughts, concerns or sign up to be a part, please click here
yaama gayrr ngaya djidjidan, yinarr Yuwaalaraay Muruwari. Hello, my name is jedison wells, i am a Yuwaalaraay and Muruwari woman, therapist and researcher and am travelling back through language documents of Yuwaalaraay because i'm not convinced that what was shared by our Ancestors was recorded accurately
i invited you here to know more about the project, share your thoughts and consider being involved. Our languages are oral so if you would prefer to talk with me rather than read this site, ring 043 555 0094 or email barriyay@pm.me
what is the project
my culture is strongest when I am mouthing our Ancestors voice in the ways and places they intended. This project came from my worry that the records we rely on to learn language may be nurturing a colonised version of what our Ancestors shared
with other Yuwaalaraay3 i want to ask questions of the early colonial English records that have made their way into our language learning. First to understand the stories and intentions behind their original exchange, and then to re-think the Collector's versions of our Ancestors voice where ignorant, inaccurate or generalised accounts are found
ignorance matters because meaning can be overshadowed by interpretation. Like in Barlow's 1850s word list below where her attempt to make meaning of our words has her doubting our capacity to count rather counting being of little value to us
inaccuracies matter because our practices of knowledge making can be lost when languages are reduced to words and grammar. In the field notes below, Janet Mathews (1969) acknowledges word corrections by Muruwari elder Uncle Jimmy Barker. As a researcher, those words are freely available to me fifty years later but as a Yuwaalaraay woman, the lack of guidance practices led me stumbling across rituals that, as a woman, I am not privvy to without community consultation
generalisations matter because each languge group is unique, Yuwaalaraay is not Aboriginal. When Williams (1980) asked our Ancestors What is the word for Kangaroo? they responded What type of Kangaroo? It is important to the configuration of Yuwaalaraay ancestral memory that the differences are acknowledged for hunting and tracking purposes. Williams though, restricted that knowledge in the final print (see below) by using bawura (red kangaroo) as the general term for the species
of course, not all Authors misinterpreted. Many respectfully checked in and published (or not) accordingly. The study is not about blame or accusation but in finding out where the holes are and how they happened, so we can fix them. Meaning, sound and grammar help us to say Yuwaalaraay but without clarifying who the knowledge was meant for, under what context were the questions asked, and whether the materials were accurate in the first place, then we don't get to know Yuwaalaraay
i feel that for language, this is an important academic piece of work. I also believe that the way we do this, could be an important piece of healing because we have to find ways to remember Yuwaalaraay institutions of knowledge making, and keep them strong so if there are any reinterpretations, they will honour them
how far have you got
as of 2025, i'm in the second year of a PHD study at Charles Darwin University. I have been talking amongst communities and language spaces, digging into the original materials and revisiting methods that fit with our practices. What I am learning is that asking questions doesn't usually find new information, asking questions brings forward new understanding
the University has been supportive in the ways we arrive at that understanding and flexible in how the data is presented. There are still stringent ethics to follow, like consent forms, because we have been used for research for centuries. It is important that the processes are respectful within our definitions and our meanings of past, present and emerging
how are you looking at doing it
I have four texts in mind but am open to other ideas. The choices don't mean that i feel that the Authors misrepresented, the set just gives a good span our language over the centuries. The books are: The languages of the Kamilaroi and Other (1903), The Euahlayi Tribe (1905), Comparative Vocabularies (1955), A Grammar of Yuwaalaraay (1980), but to pick a few texts and be open what happens. I believe it's an important academic piece of work and also, an important piece of healing - how do we work together to remember the yuwaalraay institutions of knowledge making, them, to keep them strong and that the reinerpretations honour them i am literally afraid to click the upload button, yoda tells me to pay attention to the responses (not quantity but quality) and question: what does it mean to do yuwaalaray historical knowledgeI have four texts in mind but am open to other ideas. The choices don't mean that i feel that the Authors misrepresented, the set just gives a good span our language over the centuries. The books are: The languages of the Kamilaroi and Other (1903), The Euahlayi Tribe (1905), Comparative Vocabularies (1955), A Grammar of Yuwaalaraay (1980)
we're going to use a tool that I developed called yaamanda yanay barriyaygu or Barriyay for short. It's a place of viewing, a way to ask questions about all the happenings of a story. Imagine it like a wombat hole or a magpie protecting a nest where vantage points are everchanging even if the physical position stays the same. Behavours like survival or fear, or expectations around seasons or flood or drought alter what is said and done. Barriyay attempts to make known all views and is used in therapy to support individuals and communities conquer historical trauma safely
with our knowledge practices of sharing, talking, weeding, planting, etc .. we're going to use Barriyay to make known any differences between what was gathered from our Ancestors and what they were reported as saying or doing. For example, see the passage above from Langloh Parker (1905)? It could feel like there is only one thing going on, but when we start to consider other institutions of knowledge or the needs of our Ancestors at the time, the story can thicken
what happens now
first up, thanks for listening. I really do appreciate that you took the time. If you have any thoughts on any aspect of the study, click here and an anonymous window will open to type in. You can answer as many or as little of the nine questions as you like. Text me on 043 555 0084 if you want to set up a time for me to ask you the questions and i'll type the info in. And please remember, I am learning too. There will be mistakes
one of the questions is about being a participant. Below is the time commitment. If you click YES in the window, we'll send you a copy of the consent form and plain language statement. Your answers DO NOT BIND YOU to anything and does not give me (or anyone else) personal inf. At any stage you can say no thanks without explanation, even if you clicked YES today
we're aiming for September/October 2025 to be in Lightning Ridge for the 2nd yarn and would have liked to have had the 1st yarn by the end of August. For more info on me, click here or email barriyay@pm.me to set up a chat with me directly
1st chat with Jedison - 30mins phone/zoom july/august
opportunities to ask questions about anything including dates of availability, informed consent, physical meeting spaces etc
2nd chat in group - 3hrs lightning ridge september/october
together we'll set up agreements around safety, mens and womens business etc and then, using the Barriyay tool with our practices, we will review the texts
I have been talking with a few Elders about having them available for mentoring if generational or gender stuff comes up, so if you or someone you know would be interested in providing that support, please reach out
3rd chat in group - 3hrs lightning ridge october/november
continuation of the previous yarn with any new thoughts and winding down
4th chat with Jedison - 30mins phone/zoom following last group
chance to discuss the experience and check in. following the yarns, I will lean into the research and works towards presenting the findings. All participants will have the opportunity to comment on the findings
footnotes
1 sometimes it is necessary to use a general term to refer to a person who was not Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. I use the term Wanda which is influenced by my age, family, culture, experience etc. You may use a different word, you may use the word Wanda for something different, i respect your choices and I thank you for respecting mine
2 as far as I know, my history has not intertwined with the lands, seas and skies of what is now known as theTorres Strait Islands. When I am referring to the Indigenous population of Australia, I use the term Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander but when I talk about my own upbringing, I use the term Aboriginal
3 i have every intention of doing the same with Muruwari, but don't quite have the fluency in the language. I would have preferred to focus on both languages