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Luku-Wanawuy Manikay (1788)
Yothu Yindi
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My boys at the old Yirkalla land have a very sad tale to relate
Now Balanda said we lost the land in 1788
It seems that in that year of grace
One Captain Phillip landed
At a place in the East Coast, Sydney Cove
But it didn't come empty-handed
For he put up a flag, and he said "This land now belongs to George III
And if anybody wants to challenge this, then let his voice be heard"
Oh, haven't I told you often, my boy
That the land was all created
By Barama and by Djangkawu, and then it was populated
By the Yirritja and the Dhuwa
Of the Yolngu
The Rirratjingu, Gumatj, Dhalwangu
But there was no fight when the white man came
We welcomed him as a friend
But we never said he could have our land because that would be the end
For if Captain Phillip had landed here and tried to take Yirkalla
It wouldn't have taken us very long to fix that English fellow
The Murngin system can only work if we own the land today
The older people are passing songs to the [?] hands
The Bunggul and the manikay go hand in hand as one
As tomorrow calls, we will decide a better destiny
Perhaps we should have known better, boy
Instead of the songs we sing
To pledge allegiance to a white aristocracy
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