Gapu_Monuk – Salt Water Claimed

Gapu (water), Monuk (salt), describes saltwater – Words from the Yolŋu matha language of North-East Arnhem Land. Gapu-Monuk Saltwater invites visitor to a ‘Journey to Sea Country’. discover how the Yolŋu people of North-East Arnhem Land fought for and won their legal case for Indigenous Sea Rights. The exhibition features stunning bark paintings from the Saltwater Collection. It also uses oral histories, aerial photography and traditional and contemporary Indigenous objects to delve deeper into the stories of the communities who created the paintings, giving visitors a richer understanding of their connection to Sea country. The Australian National Maritime Museum acknowledges the Yolŋu people as the traditional custodians of the lands and waters of North-East Arnhem Land. We pay our respects to tthem and their elders both past and present.