Ti Tree and Aboriginal CultureThe Walpiri at Ti Tree retain more of their aboriginal culture perhaps because they are further away from the early Christian missions. They hunted more traditionally and have kept up old traditions where they could. Part of their Aboriginal culture related to family responsibility to the spouses of their siblings. One man there was responsible for three wives. He was already married when one of his brothers apparently abandoned his wife. This man then became responsible for her welfare. Another of his brothers was killed by police in an altercation, so his wife joined the group as well. The husband was a very sombre man and always carried a battered bible with him. His wives in contrast skipped along behind him chattering and giggling incessantly while carrying the rest of their belongings. Their three boys in turn lived "out bush" with their grandparents and were my school bus passengers while I was working Outback. One day I was watching the exodus of aboriginal drinkers from the pub and witnessed what I thought was a bit of tribal magic and and example of unique aboriginal culture. An old Holden ute was piled up with drinkers and ready to head for home but the vehicle didn’t want to start. It was obvious the clutch wasn’t working as 4 or 5 of the group climbed out to push start it. They couldn’t move it and yelled for others to get out and help. After this process was repeated a couple of times all of the passengers except one were either out of the ute and pushing or laying around the flat trying to recover their breath. The lone passenger, a young aborigine who looked as if he had drunk more than the rest, still sat in the ute. Eventually he was dragged out and made to push. He only made about three steps and fell flat on his face but remarkably, the ute started. With no working clutch, the driver had to circle the flat as one after one his passengers clambered aboard. Except for the young bloke. The other aborigines waved, threatened and screamed at him but he wasn’t moving for anyone. A couple of laps later an old fellow jumped out of the ute waving a boomerang. He walked over to the young bloke who tried to push the old man away. The old man then gently tapped him on each shoulder, the young blokes arms dropped to his sides and he stood still. As the ute passed again the old man picked him up, and with some help from the others, threw the young bloke in the back. The old man jumped into the ute on what was probably the 20th lap of the flat and the whole mob headed for home. I was fascinated by this apparently magic trick of pacification with a boomerang. The young bloke had only had the lightest of taps on his shoulders but was at once subdued. It wasn’t until years later that an Aboriginal mate described how his mother had warded off unwelcome advances from opal miners in Coober Pedy. He said his mother carried a small harmless looking stick and if the miner looked at all aggressive she tapped the nerves in the muscles across his shoulders thus paralysing both arms. She didn’t need a magic boomerang!
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