For this chapter I paid homage to that Western cliché by carving two wooden clubs. In my clan these are referred to as yuk puuyngk, or Law sticks. They communicate custodial claims to places and stories, asserting cultural authority and even ownership of objects and resources. They can be stuck into the ground to show a claim to a place or to objects alongside them. The stories of the person carrying them may be etched or painted on the business end of the club. Smaller ones may also be used as message sticks to carry stories and knowledge to different groups and territories. But if you dug
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