Paul was taught traditional art forms, the stories, and laws from his father (Yalkarriwuy Gurruwiwi) and his grandfather (Gapuka) before they passed away. Buwaŋbuwaŋ was given the laws and responsibilities of being custodian of the sacred feathered ceremonial Banumbirr (morning-star pole) for the Galpu Clan.
The Banumbirr (Morning Star Pole) is sacred to the Dhuwa clans of the Yolngu people. The Banumbirr (Venus) is very bright and tracks across the Arnhem Land sky, setting in the west just before dawn. At this time the light is changing rapidly. There is the darkness of the night, punctuated with the reflections of the Morning Star on leaves of the trees, together with the distant glow of the dawn and the fading of the other stars in the sky.
The Banumbirr is a ceremonial emblem and an essential part of ritual. The individual poles can differ, depending on the ceremony, the artist’s clan, and their stories. The poles are statements about identity and can represent specific stretches of country and the people it belongs to. They are also a part of spiritual/religious statements that binds the people in life and death.
identity and can represent specific stretches of country and the people it belongs to. They are also a part of spiritual/religious statements that binds the people in life and death.