The Snake Well is in the Piuyl Mountains, near Warburton. It is where four Water snake people emerged from a hole in the ground and headed out in four different directions. This story is linked to the tales of the famous water snake woman, Kuniya, who ends up at Uluru.
‘Kungkarrangkalpa’ (The Seven Sisters or Pleaides) is significant Tjukurrpa (dreamtime). Its origins you may be familiar with in astronomy and its connection to ‘Wati Nyiru’ (Magic Man or Orion). The roots of this dreaming stems across indigenous groups around the world. The Australian Aboriginal songline is one part to the whole dreaming which can be traced all around the world. The ladies of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands depict their significant chapter and understanding of the journey of the sisters. The different versions of this story depend on where you live and the significance’s of local Tjukurrpa places.
Nyiru fell in love with the sisters but he was of the wrong skin group to marry, but he still pursued them on their journey. The sisters travel across the land to escape Nyiru’s unwanted attentions, but he is persistent and always finds them. There are significant land forms which can be sited today that evidence this dreaming. As Nyiru is chasing the sisters he tries to catch them by using magic to turn into the most tempting kampurarrpa (bush tomato) and the most beautiful Yirli (wild fig tree), for them to eat and camp under. However, the sisters are knowledgeable of his magic and too clever for Nyiru who they outwit again and again. They go hungry and run through the night rather than be caught by him. As the journey continues, Nyiru gets so frustrated at the wit of the sisters that he uses his magic to make the oldest sister sick to try and get closer to her. The other sisters rescue the big sister and nurse her back to health. It is said he also captures the youngest sister, but with the help of the oldest sister, she escapes back to her sisters who are waiting for her. Eventually, the sisters fly into the sky to escape Nyiru, forming the constellation. Nyiru felt lonely, longing for the sisters who were so far away. Nyiru used his magic to go to the sky, forever in pursuit.
This is Debbie Pascoe’s first ever screen print design. Printed as a two colour design.
Debbie is from the Djinang language group in Maningrida, which according to the ABS Census has approximately 220 speakers.
This is Debbie Pascoe’s first ever screen print design. Printed as a two colour design.
Debbie is from the Djinang language group in Maningrida, which according to the ABS Census has approximately 220 speakers.
This is Debbie Pascoe’s first ever screen print design. Printed as a two colour design.
Debbie is from the Djinang language group in Maningrida, which according to the ABS Census has approximately 220 speakers.
This design depicts the story of the artist’s ancestral dreaming, the Djómi (Fresh Water Spirit).
The Djómi figure is a mermaid-like spirit with fish tail that lives in the freshwater stream that flows out to the sea cliff near Maningrida. Djómi is known to be a very powerful fertility symbol.
“If you go there, you can get pregnant easily. Djómi has babies, and they can give other babies too. The Djómi spirit is so powerful, that women can end up with multiple babies at once, twins or sometimes even more. The Djómi spirits lay eggs near the sacred freshwater stream in Maningrida. Inside the eggs are human babies as well as young Djómi. Men do not go near that swamp, because Djomi is so powerful that men might get pregnant there too. So men are too scared of that Djómi. When we visit the Djómi freshwater spring, we can hear young Djómi crying. They sound like normal babies crying, those Djómi spirits. They are looking for a mother. This Djómi is my dreaming, I got permission from my djungkay (ritual manager) to paint this Djómi design. For me I always ask my djunguy permission to paint, because that is our cultural way. This design also depicts the freshwater lily leaves and seaweed from the base of the sea floor.” Joy Galrbin
Uncles and i used to go grubbing a lot among the gum leaves under the gumtrees. Certain times of the year you would find many grubs or many rain moth that the grubs evolved into.
Uncles and i used to go grubbing a lot among the gum leaves under the gumtrees. Certain times of the year you would find many grubs or many rain moth that the grubs evolved into.
Many years ago, as a child we used to see large, long neck turtles walking out of the river at laying season. This is my totem.
Uncles and i used to go grubbing a lot among the gum leaves under the gumtrees. Certain times of the year you would find many grubs or many rain moth that the grubs evolved into.