Yok (Bandicoot) by Gloreen Campion

Yok (Bandicoot)

The ancestral site for yok (bandicoot) is a hill called kordeme near Buluhkaduru outstation. It is a restricted place. People used to hunt yok regularly, however they are rarely seen anymore. Lena Yarinkura explains that in the past djungkay (cultural managers) would perform rituals at the site, calling out all different kured (country): Korlobidahdah, Mankorlod, Buluhkaduru, Ankadbarrbirri, Malyarngak, Ramingining, Ji-balbal, Ji-be – na. Baby yok would then spread throughout these areas. However, today there are fewer yok as djungkay have not been able to perform these rituals as often. Yok also has a powerful inside essence, mardayin, but this work is an ‘out – side’, public story.