The Spirit of Barrumbi
Annotation from the NCACL Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource.

This is a sequel to Leonie Norrrington’s award-winning ’Barrumbi Kids’.
Annotation from the NCACL Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource.

When Dale has a dream about a death adder threatening the life of his 15-year-old brother Sean he and the families are unaware that Sean has already secretly gone to the Death Adder Ridge to look for snakes. He knows he is not allowed to go; it is a sacred place not even the old men go there. Sean has broken a serious taboo; he has disrespected Culture and Country awakening the land’s spirit and setting off a chain of events that are life-threatening to him and to his family and his community.

This is a book that explores the complex relationships between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous characters through the eyes of the children. All the families have a long history in the community and their friendship and respect run deep. It is a world where Aboriginal traditions and Culture are observed by Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. When Sean goes missing his parents’ natural instinct is to search for him but they know they need to respect Indigenous traditions. Though they try to keep Sean’s transgression quiet, word soon seeps out and tensions and accusations rise within the community as fast as the floodwaters.

The book includes words in the Mayali language and Kriol. At the end of the book there is an explanatory list of the words used throughout.

Leonie Norrington is a Non-Indigenous author who grew up in a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory.

See:
NCACL’s Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource for additional teaching material.

Posted by: NCACL | Published: 25 Oct 2022