Finding Maawirrangga (ATOM Study Guide)

Synopsis

Finding Maawirrangga is a quest story at heart. Veteran Indigenous Actor Tom E. Lewis, famous at 18 after the success of The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, was uprooted from his Arnhem Landhome as a teenager. Forty years later, he returnsto Numbulwar, his Grandmother’s country, to re-connect with his culture through the MurrungunSongline.

The journey to find the legendary sandy island of Maawirrangga, veiled in the Western Gulf of Carpentaria, is an uncertain task. Waiting for Tom as he arrives in town to learn his songlines is Murrungun clan elder Nyalik Murrungun. The songs and stories he teaches will help Tom navigate the country. The long journey is not straightforward and the bond between the men must be developed and understood in order for Tom to journey alone by boat to discover the sacred Island. Finding Maawirrangga is a physical journey deep into remote South-East Arnhem Land, and a spiritual journey to culture and identity.

Curriculum Links

Finding Maawirrangga can be linked to the following subject areas within the Australian National Curriculum:

• English Years 7 – 10
• Media Arts Years 7 – 10