TLF ID M006638
Small digging sticks were made for children in many parts of Australia. These were considered to be personal property and were usually well looked after. They were often used in play. In some areas the women would use digging sticks in play ‘fights’. This activity was reported from an unidentified place as a stick-practice game used by girls to prepare them for the digging-stick (kutturu) duels they would be involved in during adult life. In New South Wales the Ngemba women had play fights with their digging sticks. The women held the end of the digging stick in both hands and a little above eye level. The women could strike with either of their hands and then guard with both. They were fearless fighters and had their own champions. This is a hitting-and-dodging contest between two players, with the feet as the target area. The Yulunga: Traditional Indigenous Games resource was developed to provide all Australians with a greater understanding and appreciation of Indigenous culture by celebrating the games that Indigenous Australians have been playing across the country for hundreds of years.