rcumstance, there would be no dispute with the 'owner' of the knowledge. Thus the dreaming can be eternal and flexible simultaneously."
The orality of the Walbiri culture also creates an exceptional respect for and reliance upon the spoken (and, especially among women, the signed) word. Because of their oral culture, the Walbiri see the message as inseparable from the messenger in an almost McLuhanesque way. The information remains with the speaker so that authorship takes on an importance out of all proportion to the message or messenger.
Being in such absolute control of one's own words gives the speaker control over what the listener hears, as well as who the listeners are in the first place. This set of constraints on information among the Walbiri gives spoken or signed information particular importance. The information can accrue material value, becoming a medium of exchange akin to money, particularly when the information is imbued with the importance of spiritual truth. There are two main types of comm
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