Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

Smoking the Baby (2001)

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clip Termite string

This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

A woman shows us how to find termites by following the termite string to the termite bed in the spinifex grass. She shows the young children the termite eggs. She tells us that they rub the children’s tummy by mixing the termite bed with water. Mungkarta are gathered for the green bushes used to smoke the small babies and children. The clip ends with us being shown the different plants gathered for the smoking ritual.

Curator’s notes

by Romaine Moreton

The intricate knowledge of the land and the gathering of plants represent a practice thousands of years old. The wisdom required to make this ritual possible is specialised, and we see the women handing on that knowledge to the younger children who accompany them on their gathering expeditions.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

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  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

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