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There’s only one way.

You have to sit down and tune to the level of the
gapu and the raŋi.

Settle yourself down.

Open yourself up.

LUŋ'THUN:

Sand, saltwater, and collaborative attunements

Miyarrka Media:

Mr P. G. Wunungmurra, Jennifer Deger, Enid Guruŋulmiwuy, Victoria Baskin Coffey, Warren Balpatji
 and Meredith Balanydjarrk

Balanda use the word attunement.

That sounds close.

Because we are searching for the frequency that will help us to get clear about this project.

Maḻŋ’maram is the Yolŋu word.

That means looking in a careful way.

Searching.

Getting in sync.

Seeing what comes,
what happens, what shows.

That’s why we’re looking through the camera.

Taking shots.
Tuning in to the raŋi and gapu.
Focusing on the sand and saltwater.

The gapu has eyes,

it can smell too, and recognize you that way.

Because the gapu can tune in too.

It can tell what you’re thinking and asking for.
It’s got bäpurru, tribes and clans. We are related.

It can talk with us.
It can tell us how to kickstart our project.

That knowledge from your grandfathers, grandmothers
is there, that’s why you concentrate.

It gives layers of understanding.

To share with your children, or anyone who works with you and shares with you.

The gapu is waking us up.

When you first get up from sleep you’re not thinking about anything. That’s because when you sleep you are calm and still. Then you get up, and your mind starts working. Like little waves forming.

The gapu is showing itself.

When you sit on the beach in the morning you might be preparing your spear, getting ready for your day. And, as you look out at the sea, the gapu tells you that it will give you the skills for hunting turtles or fish.

The gapu is saying that it will give us the skills for
this project.
The gapu is telling us, prepare yourself for hunting.

Prepare yourself for djäma.

It doesn’t matter that we are working with cameras and computers. It’s the same.

The gapu is tuning us into the work.

It’s telling us to come closer.

Keep going.

The gapu is telling us that we are tuning in,
 in a deeper way.

The gapu is showing a little rough now.

The waves are coming up and you can see lines.

That’s how the gapu tells us that our muḻkurr and mel are sharpening up, our minds and eyes adjusting to the djäma.

The gapu has its own mind, its own body,
its own will and desire.

Its own djäl.

You can't tell it what to do.

When two gapu meet, it’s like two hands clasping each other and rising up.

The gapu is telling us ḻuŋ'thun,

come on you mob, get together for djäma.

Form a team, make a plan, assign roles and responsibilites.

We’re working together now. And that’s the result.

The gapu is not part of our team.

It’s busy doing its djäma, going in and out,
all the time.

But we can feel each other.

We can see each other.

We can talk to each other.

And we can care for each other.

When you write with your hand, what happens?

Gapu is always making patterns with the raŋi.

Like your hand.

Exactly the same.

After you tune yourself into the gapu’s frequency,  it will show itself through the lines, patterns, everything.

The feelings will flow.

The knowledge will build up.

Like the tides.

In and out. In and out.

Never stopping.

Building up, getting stronger, layer by layer.

Over those days and weeks the ideas will be building up  more and more.

Our team will be getting stronger, closer.

Everything rising up.

Building up.

Like the tide coming in.