Interview with Elder Lynette Knapp
Listen to Lynette Knapps interview on the shores of the Wilson Inlet
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WICC recently caught up with local Menang Elder, Lynette Knapp, on the shores of Wilson Inlet at an undisclosed traditional Menang camping site to discuss a range of topics and stories she was passionate about. We recommend to listen to the whole interview (file above) with the inlet lapping in the background. Here are a few take away messages from our chat...
On entering other tribal groups country
Lynette: There were certain seasons they were allowed to come in and access the fish traps. So they would come down and salt and smoke all of the fish that they had to take back inland. You got caught in someone else’s country you would be in a whole heap of trouble. There were pathways that were used between country. These later became the highways that we know today, like the Albany Highway. When the explorers (Europeans) came in they had Aboriginal guides, and the guides would have to stick to those pathways or they would be killed.... But Wilson Inlet was huge. It was an absolutely huge place for Aboriginal people.
On the fish traps of Wilson Inlet
Lynette: Everything was a life skill. It was survival. It goes beyond a life skill because it was survival. All this sharpening on the rocks you see around you, it is a survival technique. To catch the swans, get the fish out of the fish traps. The swan was one of our main meals. Swan was beautiful. My Dad would figure out which swan was by itself... and (it didn’t end well for the swan). We not only had the stone traps but we had grass traps. My family was also synonymous with the stick traps. They would put a line (so there were two lines of sticks in parallel) in the water and then gather all of the weed and then they would grass it. They would come get all of the weed and cover the stick with the weed... so when the mullet was on the run, they would come and jump over the first obstacle and straight into the second one. Then they would come and gather all of the fish.
On totems
Lynette: We know where we are because we are totemic people. We belong to two totems. That of a plant and that of an animal. So when we die, we believe our spirits go into that of our totem to replenish and keep them going. But when they die, they become totemic spirits and go into the rocks of the Porongorups. We have certain people that will pronounce it with a ‘P’ and certain people who will pronounce it with a ‘B’. We say Borongorup.
On concerns for the fish traps of Wilson Inlet
Lynette: My family visits this sight often, we clean up rubbish that has been left behind by visitors. People are destroying them. Moving rocks without care of concern for their actions. They need to be protected.
On entering other tribal groups country
Lynette: There were certain seasons they were allowed to come in and access the fish traps. So they would come down and salt and smoke all of the fish that they had to take back inland. You got caught in someone else’s country you would be in a whole heap of trouble. There were pathways that were used between country. These later became the highways that we know today, like the Albany Highway. When the explorers (Europeans) came in they had Aboriginal guides, and the guides would have to stick to those pathways or they would be killed.... But Wilson Inlet was huge. It was an absolutely huge place for Aboriginal people.
On the fish traps of Wilson Inlet
Lynette: Everything was a life skill. It was survival. It goes beyond a life skill because it was survival. All this sharpening on the rocks you see around you, it is a survival technique. To catch the swans, get the fish out of the fish traps. The swan was one of our main meals. Swan was beautiful. My Dad would figure out which swan was by itself... and (it didn’t end well for the swan). We not only had the stone traps but we had grass traps. My family was also synonymous with the stick traps. They would put a line (so there were two lines of sticks in parallel) in the water and then gather all of the weed and then they would grass it. They would come get all of the weed and cover the stick with the weed... so when the mullet was on the run, they would come and jump over the first obstacle and straight into the second one. Then they would come and gather all of the fish.
On totems
Lynette: We know where we are because we are totemic people. We belong to two totems. That of a plant and that of an animal. So when we die, we believe our spirits go into that of our totem to replenish and keep them going. But when they die, they become totemic spirits and go into the rocks of the Porongorups. We have certain people that will pronounce it with a ‘P’ and certain people who will pronounce it with a ‘B’. We say Borongorup.
On concerns for the fish traps of Wilson Inlet
Lynette: My family visits this sight often, we clean up rubbish that has been left behind by visitors. People are destroying them. Moving rocks without care of concern for their actions. They need to be protected.