dalyi (fighting stick). Also called nawulu.

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Wayne Edgar

2018

Overview

A dalyi (fighting stick) made from yirrgili (Hakea arborenscens)

Historical information

This dalyi (fighting stick) was displayed in the Bugarrigarra Nyurdany exhibition first held at the National Native Title Conference in Broome 5 - 7 June 2018 at the Cable Beach Club and then again at the opening of the Liyan Ngan Nyirrwa Centre, Nyamba Buru Yawuru in 2019.

Dalyi were referred to as dowak by Maitland Brown in May 1865: `a short distance in front of me, were about 70 natives, men, women, and children, they all jumped to their feet and greeted me with a war cry. The fighting men, about 25 in number, danced forward trebly armed, quivering their spears and flourishing their kilies and dowaks.'

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-26-MN0004

Themes

First Peoples

Material

Wood

Width

20 mm

Height or length

800 mm

Depth

20 mm

Contextual Information

`Wattles are used for spears all the time. You make a fire to straighten it. All you need is a bit of wire and a small axe. Some are for hunting kangaroo, some are for fishing. We make them in all different sizes. We use the dalyi (dowak) for hunting and fighting.' William Peters Ngarda

Keywords

dalyi, nawulu, dowak, Maitland Brown, fighting stick, hunting, yirrgili, hakea arborescens,

Place made

Broome
Western Australia
Australia

Year

2018

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria

Interpretive capacity

Well provenanced