2022 NBL1 First Nations Round | Mount Gambier Pioneers

As we celebrate NAIDOC week, your Mount Gambier Pioneers will be hitting the road, and the court Saturday and Sunday for this weekend's NBL1’s First Nations Round. This round will celebrate First Nations players, past, present and future, and pay homage to First Nations Communities.

Your Mount Gambier Pioneers will be wearing a uniform that has been designed in collaboration with local Boandik people and that represents the story in our local Mount Gambier Region of Craitbul.

The Mount Gambier Pioneers acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we are located, the Boandik peoples, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

// The Local Craitbul Story //

The Revival of the Boandik language has brought the reawakening of Craitbul, the giant Boandik ancestor.

In the time of the Dreaming, long before anything came into being, lived a giant ancestor named Craitbul who travelled around Wepakangara (South East) with his mala (wife) and pulatj kungi (two sons). The great ancestor of the Boandik lived with his wife and two sons near the oven he built. His oven was called Beleter (Mount Muirhead). They would catch fish from the Glenelg Yaru (river), hunt and gather their food to cook on the oven. Craitbul longed for a safe place where he and his family would not be tormented by the evil spirit, Woor.

While sleeping in the night they were awoken to the haunting sounds of the bullin (bittern heron) warning them. In fear they fled because the evil spirit, Woor, was near. Craitbul and his family found a new place to live and Craitbul built another oven. This oven is called Parreen (Mount Schanck). They were settled, until one night came the same haunting sound of the Bullin warning them again of Woor.

Craitbul and his family gathered their things once more, determined to go inland away from the ngamath (sea) for it appeared that the evil spirit, Woor, could not exist far from ngamath. They left their empty oven and travelled to Berrin (Mount Gambier) where they set up another camp, free at last from the evil spirit, Woor.

Craitbul built another oven, but this time something very strange happened. Mysteriously, water come rushing up from the bottom and extinguished the wurnap (fire). He built another and the same happened. Craitbul had now built four ovens - Warwar (Blue Lake), Ketlamalpe (Valley Lake), Yattonlu (Leg Mutton) and Kraweratwari (Browns Lake).

Craitbul and his family finally settled in a cave on the side of Berri’s Peak where they had full view over all the mraat (land). When came time for them to die they mounted a spear. Craitbul’s wife sat on the point, Craitbul sat on the end and their two sons sat between them. The spear carried them into the heavens where they can be seen in the night skies.

For more, please click here to watch The local story of Craitbul from Aunty Michelle.