STORY - Marks, Nangala and Singleton

Artist: Damien and Yilpi Marks 

This image depicts the sandhills of Damien’s country, Mount Liebig, towards Papunya. When you see the hills from a distance, the wind blows through the sand, making the hills move and change form. The ripples, undulations and ridges in the sand make beautiful patterns.

Artist: Theo Nangala 

Pikilyi is an important natural spring and water-hole at Mt Doreen Station in the Northern Territory. Pikilyi is the home of two rainbow serpents, a married couple. The wife was a Napananka skin group and the husband a Japangardi, a taboo relationship in the Walpri culture. The serpents are the "kirda' traditional owners of that country.

Artist: Pauline Nampijinpa Singleton

This particular site of the Yankirri Jukurpa, (emu Dreaming [Dromaius novaehollandiae]) is at Ngarlikurlangu, north of Yuendumu. The ‘yankirri’ travelled to the rockhole at Ngarlikurlangu to find water. This Jukurrpa story belongs to Jangala/Jampijinpa men and Nangala/Nampijinpa women. In contemporary Warlpiri paitings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, associated sites and other elements. Emus are usually represented by their ‘wirliya’ (footprints), arrow-like shapes that show them walking around Ngarlikurlangu eating ‘yakajirri’ (bush raisin [Solanum centrale]). In the time of the Jukurrpa there was a fight at Ngarlikiurlangu between a ‘Yankirri’ ancestor and Wardilyka (Australian bustard [Ardeotis australis]) ancestors over sharing the ‘yakajirri’. There is also a dnace for this Jukurrpa that is performed during initiation ceremonies.