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Wandjina & Dumbi (cloud and rain spirits & barn owls)

The Wandjina is the creator spirit that belongs to us: the Wororra, Ngarinyin and Wunumbul people. He is the one that created everything; our culture, law and songs and even the dreaming of each child before they are born. 

Dumbi is an owl which resides in Ngarinyin country. A boy and a girl teased Dumbi and plucked out his feathers. Dumbi flew to the Wandjina Wodjin who said he would create a large flood to punish the tribe from where the boy and girl came. At a place called Wanalirri, the Wandjina gathered a large flock of brolgas which stomped on a huge black soil plain to create quicksand. The flood came and drowned many people; those who tried to escape were lost in the quicksand. The boy and girl were safe because they were on high ground, they were taken there by a kangaroo, and they traveled on the kangaroo’s tail. A Tata lizard called Ganada warned the Wandjina that the boy and the girl had escaped. The rains and lightning started to chase the boy and girl and they ran to a hollowed out boab tree. Once they were in the tree, the Wandjina closed it up and they were lost for ever. In another version of the story the boy and girl survive the flood and mate to produce a new tribe.

Categories: MOWANJUM ART AND CULTURE CENTRE

Name: Gabriella Barunga

Language: Ngarinyin

Community: Mowanjum

Biography:

Gabriella commenced her career as an artist in 1999 at Mowanjum Art and Culture Centre. Gabriella ‘likes to paint every day. Painting is my work and my way of telling a story. I paint the Wandjina from the Wanalirri mob.' Gabriella is a Ngarinyin woman. She grew up with her parents Biddy Ambi and Raphael Dolbyin at Bungarun, the leprosarium 10km's out of Derby. She was also cared for by Jack and Biddy Dale, 'they used to take us bush in the holidays. We went fishing and hunting kangaroos, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles.'

Gabriella has visited the caves where the Wandjinas were first painted. 'I thought- these are my ancestors. It’s amazing.' Gabriella’s first heard about traditional law and ancestral stories through her mother and uncles.

Gabriella confides that Gordon her partner 'helped me paint.' To the question why paint? Gabriella replies that she does 'to keep the culture going, keep it strong, keep it going for the children and grandchildren.'

The exploration of etching is a new medium for Gabriella as she has always been a painter.

 

 

 

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