STORY - Wardapi Dreaming

This Wardapi Jukurrpa (Goanna Dreaming) comes from Yarripilangku, south-west of Yuendumu. It is a story about the forbidden love between a Japangardi man and a Nungarrayi woman. By tribal law, their relationship would be taboo. Still, the Japangardi man chose to pursue the woman, and they went up the hill at Yarripilangu where they made love. The earth there turned to white ochre, and the man turned himself and all of the women into goannas. To this day, white ochre can be found at the top of the hill. The ochre is used for love magic and ceremonial decoration. The groups of women in the story are represented by concentric circles, while the small W shapes you can see surrounding the circles depict the Wardarpi tracks.