i dreamed a dream
to reconcile with Ocean
Mundagudda took the form of Whale
fluked tail
pleated belly
barnacle beard
and for the first time
a Voice
Mundagudda had a Voice
and raised it in Song
it boomed from Upstream to Upwelling
boundless, swelling
the Voice of Country
i dreamed a dream
to reconcile with Whale
the People made of themselves a Wind
tempestuous trade
coral zephyr
spout blow
Hearts open to Song
they sung along
the Voice of Country
Cheryl Leavy, Kooma Nation
From the author
Mundagudda is a Creation Spirit who took the form of a giant snake, moving across Mudhunda (Australia) bringing form to the landscape, and carving out rivers and other waterways. By evoking Mundagudda in my poem, I am signalling to readers that it’s about something elemental in importance – water.
Giving Mundagudda a voice begs a very important question. What would Mundagudda say with that voice? The answer is immediate. Mundagudda would do what my Kooma people have done for thousands of generations – communicate what’s important through culture and story. Through song. Mundagudda sends that song from their inland rivers to the upwelling of the ocean deep. This reminds us that all waterways are connected, as are all animals that rely upon them for their very life. That includes us! We rely upon water for our very life.
Introducing the People lands this message. My Kooma people’s Country is in between St George and Cunnamulla in the northern part of the Murray Darling Basin. We are more than 1200 kilometres from the Great Australian Bight where the Murray system drains into the ocean, right near the Bonney Upwelling which brings nutrients up from the ocean floor.
The bight and its Great Southern Australian Coastal Upwelling System form one of the world’s most significant whale sanctuaries, including for the Southern Right Whale, Blue Whale, and the Humpback Whale who are suspended in time and space above you. Everything we do upstream will affect everyone that lives downstream, including the whales who migrate through, nurse, or feed in the upwellings of the bight.
How is this poem about reconciliation? As always, a story can convey much more than any other lesson. Mundagudda, the Whale and the People show us that we must indeed reconcile. Firstly, we are part of one living universe and reconciling to that fact is necessary for our survival. To begin, the People must first reconcile with each other. It is the very first step of the bigger task of reconciling with the reality that we all call the living universe our home.
How could the Whale not be part of this goal? Look up at that pleated belly, fluked tail and barnacle beard. Listen to that song. That’s our family. Our kin. We are connected. Always were, always will be.
One of the deepest lessons from Kooma and other Aboriginal peoples’ culture is that we are all connected by our river systems and by the Songlines that cross Mudhunda from coast to coast. We sing to keep that connection alive. It is well time to add a new song. One we can all sing together – a reconciliation song.
Ngawu – this is true.
Cheryl Leavy, Kooma Nation
