This is a final film production documenting basket-making techniques as demonstrated by Milerum (Clarence Long) of the Tanganekald people, during December 1937.
The cinematographer was Norman B Tindale (AA 338). This film was catalogued in the Board For Anthropological Research (BAR, see AA 346) Film Catalogue as B#46-B#47, however this film was not shot during a BAR expedition or under the auspices of the BAR.
Tindale, 30 December 1937, records that 'arising from these discussions a 16mm cine film was planned and executed during December on several days at Brighton Beach. Milerum suggested ideas and the following scenario was arranged' and filmed. (AA 338/1/33/3), p.228. See also (AA 338/1/33/3), p.252.
Additional footage not included in this final film production of Milerum during the making of this film have been included in an unfinished Harvard Adelaide expedition film (AA 346/9/13/3), Time Codes 10:15-10:34.
The South Australian Museum Archives Master Preservation Tape (AA 338/25/2/9) consists of Reels 1-2 (AA 338/25/2/1- 2). Duration 15 minutes and 05 seconds, with intertitles.
In this summary all intertitles are italicised and within quotation marks. All spelling within intertitles have been left as originally spelt. Language and terms which reflect the author's attitude or that of the period in which the item was produced may be considered inappropriate today in some circumstances.
The method adopted by BAR expeditions to undertake research and record the results involved assigning a unique number to each individual (here called 'individual subject number'). This number was given the expedition symbol as a prefix, and remained consistent throughout the research. Milerum was recorded during the Harvard Adelaide Expedition of 1938-1939, which had the expedition symbol 'N'. All individuals recorded during the expedition were assigned an individual subject number, Milerum, (Clarence Long) was assigned the individual subject number [N1829].
Note that the time coded summary is in minutes and seconds. Following the summary of this film is a list of references and further notes.
Formats Held: 16mm B&W Silent; SP Betacam, Digital Betacam, Access DVDs.
Summary (Time Coded): Taken from Access DVD 3 (AA 338/25/2/13)
00:00 'Basket-Making, Coorong, South Australia.' 1937.
00:00 'Cultural Sensitivity Warning.'
00:00 'The Museum Board of South Australia © 1937.'
00:44 'University of Adelaide. [#]46 Basket-Making, Coorong, South Australia. Rate:-24 frames per second, - Tindale.
00:52 'Photography and arrangement by Norman B Tindale, December, 1937.'
00:56 'Demonstrated by Milerum, Tanganekald man, aged 66 years.'
01:01 Milerum [N1829] speaks to the camera and points to the distance.
01:05 Rushes (Juncus maritimus) grow in the Coorong sandhills.
01:10 Sand dunes and a close up of reeds blowing in the wind.
01:28 Milerum wanders over the sand hills, armed with spear, club, basket and wearing an opossum skin cloak. He selects reeds for basket making.
02:01 Close up of Milerum taking to the camera.
02:11 Milerum gathers stems of uniform thickness and suitable for basket making. He uses his boomerang as a digging tool as well as scooping the sand with his hand.
02:54 Bundles of reeds are carefully tied up using a flattened reed as lashing. He attaches a handle to the parcel of reeds, slings it over his shoulder and walks up a sand dune.
00:58 Milerum undoes the parcel of reeds.
04:11 'They are wilted and bleached in the sun.'
04:16 Milerum spreads the reeds out to wilt and bleach in the sun.
04:48 Rearranging the contents of his basket which hold his clubs and boomerangs.
05:03 'Testing boomerang and spear while rushes are drying.'
05:08 Milerum walks holding his spear and clubs in his hand.
05:15 Milerum demonstrating the method of throwing a non-returning boomerang.
05:21 Milerum demonstrating the method of throwing a spear with the aid of a spearthrower.
05:38 The reeds having wilted in the sun are tied into bundles.
05:43 'Trimming rushes with sharp edge of his thumb nail.'
05:49 Trimming the rushes with his thumb nail.
05:55 Milerum reties the reeds into bundles and packs his tools and weapons into his basket. With the bundle of dried reeds and his own basket he sets off walking.
06:50 'Rushes are kept damp and pliable.'
06:54 A day or so later Milerum is seated beside a small dish which contains water. A small number of the now bleached and prepared reeds are taken and soaked in the water. Tanganekald basket ware is done with the coiling technique. A bone or wooden awl is use to open the loop holes through which the working reed is passed. Milerum's awl is attached to his wrist by means of a cord. He commences the first coiling loops over foundation bundle which is to become the beginning of the basket. The tip of the working reed has been trimmed to a sharp point with his nail. It is passed over the bundle and under the loop.
08:05 Halfway through the process of weaving a basket for carrying clubs and spearthrowers.
08:22 Milerum completes the basket. The ends of the reed coil is trimmed using the finger nail, and lashed down to complete the lip of the basket. A wetted basket ware handle is added, this being sewn to the edges of the basket with a flattened reed.
09:29 Milerum shaping the basket and testing it for strength.
09:43 Milerum drinks from his dish.
09:49 'His water dish is half a human skull.'
09:54 Milerum drinks from his dish.
09:57 Flat rectangular mats are for wrapping the dead.
10:01 Milerum weaving a rectangular mat.
10:24 [#]46 End of Reel 1. Basket-making, Coorong.
10:37 '[#]47 Basket-making, Coorong, South Australia. Reel 2.'
10:24 'A "sister" basket (the two pieces are likened to two sisters).'
10:48 Seated on a large circular mat Milerum makes one side of the "sister" basket.
10:52 Joining the edges of the two identical sides to make the "sister" basket. A handle is added.
11:14 Milerum holds up the finished "sister" basket.
11:21 'He makes a Tanganekald war basket.'
11:25 Making the handle of the war basket with hair-string.
11:30 'Human hair-string netting for the war basket handle.'
11:34 The Tanganekald war basket has a handle made from netting human hair string. Milerum makes the foundation for this netted hair string by winding human hair on to a double ended stick some seven inches long. This becomes the netting needle.
12:02 The first loop is placed over the big toe of the left foot and the first netting loops prepared. After some eight loops are prepared they are gathered up on to the fingers and transferred to the left thumb loop of hair string is passed through the tied placed over the toe and the side of the original netting loops are now added with the same netting needle, the work continuing until the net is some three feet long.
13:56 'Feathers of the owners totem, the boobook owl).'
14:00 Milerum plucks the feathers from the wings of the bird and placed on it on this war basket. The hair-string handle has been attatched, he shows the finished basket to the camera.
14:24 Preparing a bone awl for basket-making.'
14:28 Milerum carefully uses a hammer stone to split the leg bone of an emu. He then chipping its edges and then scrapes it smooth with a piece of flake.
15:00 Milerum then rubs the awl on the flat face of his hammer stone to create a pointed tip. Groves made near the butt of the awl enables the retaining cord to be firmly tied. Milerum then attaches the finished awl and cord to his wrist.
15:42 Milerum walks in the sand dunes.
15:46 [#]47 End of Reel 2. Basket-making, Coorong.
15:49 End of footage.