Sharing some details about Lilla, the campsite we will be stying in:
Lilla as a community are happy talking and teaching about their Tjukurpa (dreamtime). As they say Pitchama naygooakoo nooragaroo nayooloo nyuntu nga tjukurpa wankahnye. (come to my country and I will teach you a dreamtime story).
Lilla is an aboriginal outstation community located in the Watarrka National Park. In the native tongue of the Luritja country, Lilla means sweet water. If you visit Lilla you will get a chance drink the best tasting water that has been filtered through the Mereenie sandstone from underground springs.
LILLA FAMILY TREE
GRANDFATHER & GRANDMOTHERS: Mussolino & Rosi
FATHER & MOTHER: Leo (Passed Away) & Ena
DAUGHTERS: Judith (passed away), Sadie, Vera & Sonia
This is the story of Lilla told by Sadie.
Originally the Grandparents were from Yuendumu. Mussolino was getting into trouble for something that is unspoken about. As a result they fled with the whole family to Jay Creek on camel back.
Mussolino left his family there where they were safe. Armed with spears and number 7 boomerangs, he went back to Yuendumu to deal with the problem. He was very successful and on his return he was smothered in happy children.
Enas’ husbands father was from Docker River way and her mother from Pintubi. On their journey one year to sacred initiation grounds between Mt Leibig and Docker River the two of them met and were married and made a family, thus Ena’s husband was born.
Ena met her husband. They Married and had their 4 children. He was granted land rights in 1978 as Lilla was his birth place. Unfortunately he passed away in 1987.
For many years they lived at a town camp in Alice Springs, long after their fathers death. Due to alcohol and bad people their sister died 1 minute after midnight on new years eve in the year 2000. As a result they moved back to their fathers country at Lilla.
Leo had told stories of the early days where his father and uncle had fled into the hills with as much family as they could. They hid in the caves as the white men came through the area and massacred all those people that were left behind. Later on they were taken to Hermansburg mission where they were taught English and Christianity. And also the native tongue of Arrente. However because there were lots of them their own language of Luritja was kept strong and that’s where Ena met her husband (to be).