Central Land Council

Above: Thommy Thompson

Below: Kaytetye kids and the cake celebrating the publication of the Kaytetye Dictionary

It was a day of celebration as the Kaytetye people launched three publications at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Centre in Tennant Creek.
Kaytetye elder and renowned story teller Tommy Thompson was very proud at the launch of these Kaytetye publications, especially his book Growing up Kaytetye.

“The Dreamtime laid everything out like a blanket, even the Kaytetye people. River red gum leaves were laid out on the ground and then they were turned over. They were not ordinary leaves. They were laid out one by one, and each one was counted as it was laid out. First one girl - the eldest sister - then her young sister, then their younger sister, and then the youngest ones. They were groups of sisters related as aunts and nieces to each other. The leaves were decorated with their own ceremonial designs. This was how the Dreamtime laid them out.”
Thommy Thompson Growing Up Kayteye

Tommy Thompson invites readers into the poetic world of the Kaytetye people. He tells stories about the birth of the Kaytetye, early contact with European settlers, the dreamtime and football Kaytetye way.
The book is written in Kaytetye and translated into English with maps, photographs and illustrations to complement the stories.