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Three Tribes

The three tribes are the Worrora, Wunumbul and Ngarinyin. The three tribes represent the Wandjina who made them what they are today. They’re from the North Kimberley region of Western Australia. The area that makes up the three tribes starts from Oobagooma which is 150km north of the coast of Derby, east across towards inland to Iminji and all the way up to Kalumburru. The tribes have travelled, moved and lived together and share similar stories, culture and language with different dialects. They still follow the law, culture and language of the land today carrying on strong and sharing it.

From left to right we have Wannalirri (Ngarinyin) Wandjina. He was the Wandjina that brought all the Wandjina’s together to send the big flood to drown the people, because of what the children had done to the Dumbi the owl.

The Wandjina in the centre is called Namarali (Worrora) Wandjina. He is the only one with spears sticking out of his head. Namarali stole a wife of one of the other Wandjinas and they both ran away to the coast to a place called Langi. The husband of the women rounded up the other Wandjinas and they went after the two and caught up with them at Langi and they surrounded him (Namarali). They all threw their spears at him and as he was dying he told them to bury him in the sand but bury him on the nearby hill. To this day you can see the rock formations of the Wandjinas at the battle at Langi, and Namarali is the biggest rock of them all.

The third Wandjina on the right is Rimmijmurra (Wunambul). This Wandjina likes stealing so thats how it got his name.

Categories: MOWANJUM ART AND CULTURE CENTRE

Name: Mildred Minggi Mungulu

Language: Worrora, Wunambal

Community: Mowanjum

Biography:

Mildred was born at Derby in the old Native Hospital (Numbala Nunga) and spent her 22 years at Mowanjum (“old site”) on the Derby Highway. This was where Mildred watched her father Alan Mungulu (dec) make didgeridoos and boomerangs at home. “When I was there, I would see him do them.” It was being near the traditional crafting of these objects that created a connection to the traditional culture which assisted Mildred’s own craft as a painter. In 1979 the community was moved to a new site on the Gibb River Road and this is where Mildred now resides.

Mildred paints, “what represents us, from our mothers and fathers. We keep it going from generation to generation.” Her artwork demonstrates an array of traditional symbolic representations, including Wandjinas from the three tribes of the Mowanjum community: the Ngarinyin, Worrorra and Wunambal tribes. Coastal Wandjina are signified by the series of circular lines crossed with radial lines fanning from the Wandjina’s head. It has been said this represents a cyclone and lightning.

Traditionally a painter, etching is a new medium now being explored by Mildred.

 

 

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