Seen in and around Ramingining, the sand palm is a small, slender palm, growing to about 7 m tall. It is fire tolerant and usually grows in environments where it is exposed to frequent fires. Aboriginal people use this palm as the fruits are edible and the heart can be eaten, either raw or roasted. The core of the stem is pounded and made into a drink which was used to treat coughs, colds, chest infections, diarrhoea, and tuberculosis.
Name: Joy Burruna
Language: Djambarrpuyngu
Community: Ramingining
Biography:
Burruna's late mother was a renowned artist who was one of the first Yolngu women to ever paint. She paved the way for Yolngu women to not be seen as only weavers but painters too. Burruna learnt to paint by watching her mother and she now paints along side her sisters, daughters and granddaughters with a family lineage of strong women painters.
Joy loves to paint stories about Morning Star, the very special and spiritual ceremony that is particular to her fathers side of the family, and other clans in this region. She also paints the king brown snake and blue tongue lizard creation story for her country of Djarraya. Some times Burruna will also paint the flying fox creation story for her mothers country of Ngalyindi, and fresh water stories about long neck turtles and crocodiles. These stories are part of her family knowledge.
As well as being an artist for Bula’bula Arts, Joy is one of the directors.
Mapu (egg) hunting This is as ancient story about how Yolngu used to collect food. They would go out into the swamp in their bark canoes and collect all the magpie geese eggs. You Read more…
Raypiny Dhawu (Fresh Water Story) All Aboriginal people originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘spiritual reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes Read more…
Raypiny Dhawu (Fresh Water Story) All Aboriginal people originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘spiritual reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes Read more…