Awely

Awely is the Anmatyerr word used for women’s songs and ceremonies. Awely looks after the community’s happiness, health and wellbeing, and cares for Country. Emily Kam learnt awely from her mother. These songs and ceremonies continue to be passed down through the generations.

Before any dancing begins, the women are painted up on their chests, breasts, and upper arms, and sometimes thighs and bellies. They use a mixture of ochre and other pigments with the same colour palette throughout all ceremonies. The community will change the body marking and vary the colour combinations based on the different Country or Dreaming the ceremony is connected to.

The singing begins while the women are painting up, there is a connection between the marks being made on the women’s bodies, the songs being sung and the dancing.

The Alhalker song series includes one verse that refers to the ankerr (emus), travelling along and bending down to eat intekw (fan-flower) and katyerr (desert raisin) fruits. Some women might clasp their hands and hold them behind their heads or hold their arms up to the sky to celebrate their ancestors. In other dances, the women hold ceremonial hair strings or white headbands, moving them side to side to the rhythm of the song, making marks on the land around their feet.

When Emily Kam painted awely, we see gestures and textures of paint more like the painting of ochre onto women’s bodies during ceremony. The paintings were created with the repeated rhythm of the song verses.

The Anmatyerr women talk about the awely being passed down to the teenagers in the community.

Are there any traditions or rituals that have been passed down to you by your family members?

Why is it important that these ceremonies be shared with younger generations?

Is there anything you do in your life that you would like to pass down to future generations? Discuss with a partner what this might be and why you might share this?