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Elders and Yolŋu parents are overwhelmed
More and more Balanda (English speakers) are coming to communities in Arnhem Land to tell Yolŋu how to run their lives and look after their children.
It is like a big big wave (tsunami) only we cannot understand them and they do not understand us. But we are left after the big wave has gone. We do not know what is right or wrong anymore, there is just more and more confusion.
All the Balanda coming to our community should learn about us, learn our culture and our language so when they come they can be useful instead of blaming us all the time.
– from Why Warriors Pty Ltd: www.whywarriors.com.au
September 2011
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yolngu
Language
Main article: Yolngu Matha
Yolngu speak a dozen dialects of a language group known as Yolngu Matha. English can be anywhere from a third to a tenth language for Yolŋu.