Yawkyawk and Mandjabu Printed by the late J. Wurrkidj’s daughter, Abigail Namundja Yawkyawk is a word from the Aboriginal Kunwinjku language, meaning ‘young woman’ and ‘young woman spirit being’. Sometimes compared to the European notion of mermaids, yawkyawks are usually depicted with the tails of fish. They have long hair, Read more…
Mandjabu Kuninjku people traditionally make two sorts of conical fish traps. One is called mandjabu and is made from a strong, durable vine called milil, and a smaller one is called manylik mandjabu, and made from the grass manylik. The mandjabuconical fish trap is bigger and stronger and used in tidal reaches Read more…
Mandjabu and Cheeky Yam Printed by the late J. Wurrkidj’s daughter, Abigail Namundja In old times people would make these mandjabu (fish traps) to go fishing. They are made with vine we find in the jungle. That old man, Anchor [Gulunba], he showed me how to make these fish traps. Read more…
Wamurla (bush tomatoes) Depicted in this work are wamurla (bush tomatoes), a spherical yellow bush fruit harvested from small, prickly shrubs. Wamurla are a favoured bush tucker amongst the Martu, popular for their sweet taste and for the relative ease with which they are foraged. The shrubs prolifically produce purple Read more…
Bush Tucker Depicted in this work are traditional types of bush tucker, their habitats, and their related hunting and gathering methods. During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) period, Martu would traverse very large distances annually in small family groups, moving seasonally from water source to water source, and hunting and Read more…
Yalta “This is my grandmother’s and mother’s Country, Yalta. It’s very close to Kunawarritji side. I’ve never been there. That was where my mother was born during the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) times. All the tali (sandhills) around. I want to go there one day, to see that Country, I Read more…
man-kurdudjumuk – yellow colour top Handmade by Jemimah Jemimah, Sydney using headstock silk cotton blend. Hand printed by Deborah Wurrkidj out on county. The striking yellow – gold hue comes from the root of the man-kurdudjumuk plant (coelospermum reticulatum) which has been harvested from the sandy country near the flood plains. Read more…
Yilyara Yilyara is one of several frequently visited yinta (permanent springs) located in the Country immediately surrounding Punmu Aboriginal community. Yilyara is located immediately east of Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora), a vast and culturally significant salt lake in the north east section of the Karlamilyi River (Rudall River) region. Surrounding the Read more…
Rawa Rawa is a soak and spring located along the eastern edge of the large salt lake, Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora), and at the western edge of Punmu Aboriginal community, 670km northeast of Newman. Surrounding Rawa are numerous fresh water soaks and the permanent red tali (sandhills) typical of the area. Read more…
Wilurr Wilurr is a spring located at the northern end of the large salt lake, Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora), and northwest of Punmu Aboriginal community. This site lies within Minyawe’s ngurra (home Country, camp), the area which he knew intimately and travelled extensively with his family in his youth. The Western Read more…