Native Companions: Dreamtime Mysteries Trilogy

Native Companions: Dreamtime Mysteries Trilogy
By Jenni Barnett
Independently Published
February 14, 2025
ASIN: B0DXB5G9CR

Anthropology undergraduate Rex Graham embarks on a study trip to Central Australia, where he discovers his ancestral pelican stylised totem embedded in cave art. He is inspired to learn the truth by questioning the possibility of a coastal tribe crossing such a mountainous terrain to reach the semi-desert interior channel country before eventually returning to their nation a century later.

On his return from the excursion, Rex is called upon to say goodbye to his ailing grandmother, having pledged his intent to solve mysteries encoded in the artwork entrusted to her by a tribal ancestor. Following her passing, Rex embarks on a pilgrimage to her traditional burial tree, where he envisions her face in the notches of the tree trunk. When he falls asleep, the forest comes to life, and ‘Gran Yan’ indulges him in his dreams, shared with other saplings, filled with stories of ancestral journeys, mythology and their long-standing adventures. Gran Yan narrates a time circle of events, stories within stories layered within the tree’s branches of memories collected over generations at corroborees held near her canopy when legends were shared by spiritual priests who communed with their ancestral spirits.

Rex learns about ancient life in the lakeside territory at Amaru, where he grew up. Mysteries unfold as the Booran tribe deserted their lakeside territory to follow the pelican on its journey north-west, crossing the Great Dividing Range and surviving as nomads, moving from one natural resource to the next and struggling for acceptance by the local populations.

The opening theme is set at Amaru, several generations following the Booran tribe’s return to their traditional nation. Their tribal priest learned important history relating to ancient disputes with neighbouring nations and how it influenced their history. Two priests tap into the ancestral spirit world and breathe new life into a bygone era as they narrate each generation of journeys, adventures and struggles during their eight-generation desert migration, followed by their long journey home, guided by the great eagle Mullawaa.

Part two of the Book, The Adventures of Wiliwanda, covers the mystery of a Booran youth whose fate was the subject of speculation following his disappearance in a flood. Further to his arrival in the riverland, his journeys to distant nations and speculations about supernatural experiences were interwoven into the tribal folklore.

Artwork and sketches accompanying the legends add life and colour to the theme. This book is a valuable reference tool for anyone wishing to learn about the culture of Australia’s First Nations People. The story combines adventure, cultural history, language, their understanding of wildlife, and their deep connection to the spiritual world. It is set in a culture that thrived while living with nature and respecting their tribal laws. The legends Rex learns are amusing and informative, and give insight.

The author decided to revise the original text to translate it into Western culture and reduce the significant headcount and language referencing while reducing the headcount. Character profiles are reduced to the key players, and as higher risk-takers, male characters dominate book one of the trilogy, with the emergence of strong women in both sequences.