The stunning Northern Flinders Ranges Country belongs to the Adnyamathanha people. ‘Adnya’ means rock and ‘mathana’ means people – the Adnyamathana people are ‘the people of the rocks’.

Adnyamathanha songs, stories and Law are all part of the Yuramuda. This program is about the journey of one of the major Adnyamathanha Creation Ancestors, Yurlu the Kingfisher Man. Yurlu’s Coal, explores the travels of Yulu as he moved across Country, followed by two Arkurra , Giant Rainbow Serpents and why the coal mined at Leigh Creek Coal Mine today belongs, from an Adnyamathanha perspective, to Yurlu, the Kingfisher Man.

In the second part of this series, we will hear about how Wilpena Pound came into being from an Adnyamathanha perspective, the impact missionaries had on the practice of Adnyamathanha Law and culture, and more about the fascinating relationship that regularly exists between Indigenous and scientific understandings of the land before travelling out toward Mount Chambers to visit Yurlu the Kingfisher Man’s final resting place.

Liz thanks Senior Adnyamathanha Cultural Custodian Cliff Coulthard who was deeply involved in all aspects of production of this program. Thanks also to cultural custodians Vince, Linda and Mick Coulthard and Gladys Wilton for their contributions and to Senior Adnyamathanha Custodian and linguist Terrence Coulthard for his invaluable contributions. Thanks go to Mick Coulthard and Noel Wilton for reading the story in language, Arthur Brady for his English language version, to Anne Marie Taranto and Nigel Carney, The Chapel, and Terry Fuchs and staff at Alinta Energy.

‘Amazing Grace’ was sung in Adnyamathanha by Aunty Lily Neville and recorded at Umeewarra Radio Station. Additional sound elements by Nathan May and Doug Petherick at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music at the University of Adelaide.

Original recordings by Taz Miller and Liz Thompson, assisted by Gavin Spokes.

The Yurlu’s Coal song was performed by Terrence Coulthard, written by Terrence and Cliff Coulthard and Buck McKenzie.

Welcome Song was performed by Terrence Coulthard and written by Uncle Leo Coulthard, Auntie Shirley Coulthard, Josephine Coulthard and Terrence Coulthard for the Adnyamathanha Women’s choir in 1997.