Winjama-Yagan Captain Cook Junba by Wattie Nerdu

This totem represents the boat (Winjama) and sails of Captain Cook’s ship on arrival in Australia. Worrorra songman, Wattie Nerdu, dreamt and composed this junba at Old Mowanjum in 1963. Presenting the story of Captain Cook’s arrival in Australia, and the subsequent colonisation of the country in a new light, it tells this story of how Agurla, a strong devil-like spirit drew Cook to the coast, enabling him to come into people’s country without permission, take it over and kill people. Although Cook did not come to this coast his name and the spirit of first contact and the Indigenous resistance is alive in this junba.