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Kungkarrangkalpa (Seven Sisters)

‘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.

Categories: Papulankutja Artists

Name: Angilyiya Tjapiti Mitchell

Language: Pitjantjatjara

Community: Papulankutja (Blackstone)

Biography:

Angilyiya was born in Emu Country, Blackstone Ranges near Kunmarnarra Bore, a traditional law area and important men's Dreaming site. Angilyiya is a Traditional Owner for Kuru Ala an important women's dreaming place linked to the Kungkarrangkalpa /Seven Sisters Tjukurpa /stories.

A senior artist and strong Law woman, Angilyiya has exceptional bush skills, including carving punu/wood sculptures, creating tjanpi / grass weaving and extensive knowledge of collecting and making bush medicines. 

Angilyiya is a teacher and mentor in language, culture and heritage. She is frequently called upon by the local Land Management to share her knowledge of country/sites and her ability to teach ethnobotany and share Tjukurrpa (ancestral creation) stories. She says she is the ‘only one left to teach young people’.

Angilyiya has also been a keen member of NPY Women’s Council and of Tjanpi Desert Weavers (TDW), making sculptural objects,  baskets and animal figures out of natural fibre, tjanpi (local grasses), raffia and wool. Angiliyiya was commissioned to contribute to major projects, including the tjanpi /grass Toyota that won first prize in the 2005 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art (NATSIA) Awards. A collective work created by 18 women from Papulankutja/Blackstone (WA) and acquired by the Museum and Art Gallery NT as part of their permanent collection. Angilyiya was also a part of Songlines: Tracking The Seven Sisters exhibition. Creating one of the flying Seven Sisters from tjanpi/ grass, for this extraordinary multi-faceted exhibition at the National Museum of Australia (NMA) 2017. The sculptures can be seen online as actual objects and have also been digitised as characters in a video. See more here https://songlines.nma.gov.au/tjanpi

 

 

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