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Baru Dhawu (Crocodile Story) Baru (the crocodile man), was from the Gumatj clan. People usually call him Gurdu Gurdu or Baru which means crocodile. He lived his life at a place called Yirrkala. Living near him were other people, and when Baru didn’t have enough to eat he began to Read more…

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Mindirr (Pandanus Bag) Miṉḏirr (dilly bags) are made from gunga (Pandanus spiralis), baḻgurr (kurrajong) and natural bush dyes. The body of the miṉḏirr is made from gunga, and the handles from baḻgurr. Once the gunga fronds and baḻgurr bark have been collected, they are stripped and prepared then boiled with the dyes. Miṉḏirr were used traditionally for every day Read more…

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Giny’kiny (Catfish) Giny’kiny (cat fish) are a totemic species significant to the Gupapuyngu clan. They are represented through storylines and songlines through art and bunggul (dance). The lines in the painting depict the ripples in which the Giny’kiny created when swimming through the shallow waters. During bunggul (dance) the ripples Read more…

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Baru Dhawu (Crocodile Story) Baru (the crocodile man), was from the Gumatj clan. People usually call him Gurdu Gurdu or Baru which means crocodile. He lived his life at a place called Yirrkala. Living near him were other people, and when Baru didn’t have enough to eat he began to Read more…

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Raypiny Dhawu (Fresh Water Story) All Aboriginal people originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘spiritual reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes made by Wangarr (creative spirits) that were created long ago close to the beginning of Read more…

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Woven Mat Traditionally, Nganiyal (conical mats) were used as an insect screen when erected, and as a sitting mat when folded. They are used in Ceremony as well as a functional item.  Nowadays, artists weave many different shapes including flat, round and oblong. 

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Warrnyu Dhawu (Flying Fox Story) Back in the Creation time, Warrnyu (Flying Foxes) once lived, like men, in the cave at the place called Kurrki Warrnyu Yirri Djaringal (they also lived in caves called Wadatilmurr & Gurngurmirrngu). Warrnyu lived in these caves for many years and then one day Djanyarr Read more…

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Woven Mat Traditionally, Nganiyal (conical mats) were used as an insect screen when erected, and as a sitting mat when folded. They are used in Ceremony as well as a functional item.  Nowadays, artists weave many different shapes including flat, round and oblong. 

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Woven Mat Traditionally, Nganiyal (conical mats) were used as an insect screen when erected, and as a sitting mat when folded. They are used in Ceremony as well as a functional item.  Nowadays, artists weave many different shapes including flat, round and oblong. 

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Northern Marbled Velvet Gecko (Oedura marmorata) Aboriginal art in Ramingining, Central Arnhem Land is commonly illustrated through designs and images of animals, plants, and landscape. These motifs commonly reflect the artists ancestral inheritance and their dreamings and are referred to as totems. For this painting, the artist has painted Northern Marbled Velvet Read more…

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