Australian history story

In the movie “Ten Canoes,” an Aboriginal elder from the Northern Territory of Australia tells the story of his people and their land. The story is about an older man named Minygululu, who has three wives and is concerned that his younger brother, Dayindi, may try to steal away his youngest wife.

Over several days and hunting trips, Minygululu tells Dayindi a story set in the time of their ancestors. The story is about a stranger who came to a village and caused disruption in the lives of a man named Ridjimiraril, his three wives, and his younger brother Yeeralparil. Through the telling of stories, Minygululu hopes to teach Dayindi about the importance of values and balance in their community.

The movie is shot in two parts. The first part is black-and-white and tells the story of Dayindi’s first hunt for goose eggs in the Arafura swamp in central Arnhem Land. As Dayindi learns how to build a bark canoe, his older brother tells him the story of the old laws and a young man with no wife.

The movie’s second part is shot in colour and takes place in an older time. Most of the parts are played by the actors from the first part. In this story, Dayindi plays Yeeralparil, who is attracted to the third wife of the warrior Ridjimiraril. When Ridjimiraril’s second wife disappears, he suspects a stranger who has been seen near the camp. By mistake, he spears the wrong man, and Ridjimiraril must face the man’s relatives in a ritual payback. He chooses his brother Yeeralparil to stand beside him for the payback, but the spears mortally wound Ridjimiraril. When he dies, it is customary for his brother to inherit his wives, but these new responsibilities are more than Yeeralparil expects.