Thap yongk (Law poles)

‘There were these two brothers  .  .  .  at the creation of the world only these two people, they were human, they left these two poles, they made  .  .  .  songs, I’m making these poles now because they left these poles and how they painted’

– Joe Ngallametta

The Thap yongk relate to the most fundamental issues of Indigenous Australian culture — the inter-relationships of land, culture and the creation time. Senior Kugu Elder Joe Ngallametta makes a direct connection between his Thap yongk and the poles made ‘at the creation of the world’.

The Thap yongk represent knowledge about people’s affiliations with the land and their responsibilities and rights within its boundaries. While this knowledge and authority are provided through the Dreaming, they play a current and ongoing role within the community. The knowledge represented by the Thap yongk is held in trust by Elders such as Ngallametta and is passed on to the younger members of the community.

Representing upturned trees, the Thap yongk extend from the ground, suggesting branches hidden beneath the earth, while the roots are at the top of the poles. The poles draw the spirit back to the ground, the ‘hidden’ branches symbolising the extensive network of stories and laws connecting people to the land and to each other.

The Thap yongk are usually only seen by the men of the community, but Ngallametta has given permission for these poles to be shared with the larger community, stating: ‘I know your laws: now you can understand mine’.

 All stories
 

See also . . .

Learn about the artist Joe Ngallametta.
Learn about the community of Aurukun.