The Binna Binna man rarely speaks directly. His message often comes through other people. In the book, it is through Popeye-Bobby, after Shandell is visited by him. The Binna Binna man's one direct order:
"Be who you are." is complex. You need to be true to your own personality, an individual in your own right. You need to be true to your culture, recognising and drawing upon the richness and positive aspects of this heritage to give you strength and a sense of "we're you've come from". If you are strong in "who you are" you can stand up to peer pressure and not have to compromise your ideals to fit in.
Popeye Bobby says on p.85 that "...the adults [should] look out for the young ones. And the young ones to look out for the old ways."
Here, the Binna Binna man's message is for the Murri people to look out for one another - the older people sharing their wisdom, and the young people respecting this wisdom and their elders. This communication and sharing by the generations is the recipe for a strong and enduring culture.
Popeye Bobby also says on p. 85 that the Binna Binna man "will set you straight". and "You don't be frighten of that. You just remember." The Binna Binna man will put you on the right path as he did with Shandell. She was lucky to get the second chance that Sister-Girl did not. There is no need to be afraid but you should respect the power of the Binna Binna man.
On p. 86 there is the quote "you fullas got to remember where you from. You got to know the ways of your place, this place here. You forget that and you get weak. You get weak, you die." This quote, although again voiced by Popeye Bobby has come from the Binna Binna man. He is saying that you get strength from the land itself - from Yarrie and it's spirits and ancestors, from the very landforms that were created in the Dreaming. If you remove yourself from the land you get weak and die. This is a message to remind the Murris of their roots in Yarrie and to return often to renew their strength and ties to the culture.
Jimmyboyz (with a lot of help from Ms Martin for this Rap Point).
About Meme and Boori's answers..and some more questions,comments.
1.First of all, thankyou for your answers. Many students in our class are interested in reading "Junjul the sun"...there will be a fight in the library to see who gets it first!
2. Is the word for ear in the Kunggandji language binna binna?
3.Why have the authors chosen to leave the boy without a name? Well, we think it is because he is talking directly to us, like a friend, and we are included in all the action. If the book was written about the boy, in third person, it would be more distant and not "up close and personal"!
4. That was a good point that all cultures should be loving towards themselves to be strong. We will try and do this!
We've found this rap very stimulating.
Thankyou to Meme, Boori, "The Big Rapper" and everyone else involved...
