Two things – tree roots used for bush medicine with flowers in the background. Mangarri is a kind of Bush Medicine. The plant roots are gathered, ground up and boiled in water. This is used on the skin. You don’t eat this one. Also, the painting has seeds used to make a necklace. The seeds are decorated with a hot wire from the fire. Women make necklaces for decoration and ceremony.
Babies first Christmas. Laying in coolemon surrounded by native plants. Waiting for family to arrive.
Ceremony on M’Bunghara Creek. The country of M’Bunghara is depicted as a combination of creek and open desert. Maryanne’s ‘landscape’ is scattered with humpies, with people [indicated by U shapes] sitting down around fires [circles surrounded by U shapes], performing Ceremony. This Ceremony is open to all – men, women and children participating.
M’Bunghara, located on M’Bunghara Creek [known as Dashwood Creek] surrounded by Glen Helen Station, is where Maryanne was born to her mother Daisy Leura Nakamarra and father Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri. It is now home to a small Outstation Community of extended family, also called M’Bunghara.
‘Three houses in Hermannsburg, family houses at Sandhill Camp. That’s like our family area at Hermannsburg. The families are sitting down outside watching tourist cars coming to Alice Springs.’
‘Two houses in Hermannsburg, family houses at Sandhill Camp. That’s like our family area at Hermannsburg. The families are sitting down outside watching tourist cars coming to Alice Springs.’
My mother and my mother’s father, my grandfather hold this one. It’s mine too. Caterpillar, Ayeperenye come up from Wingellina way to Alice Springs. He’s right there next to that traffic (Stuart Highway, Alice Springs), that rock there. Ayeperenye.
Emu looking around for water. This is a Dreaming story from my father’s country, other side of Yuendumu. Past Mandarin Station, through there and other side. Emu looking round for water, they are three waterholes. I’ve painted the country side after big rain, flowers everywhere. The emu is looking for yellow fruit to eat, with seed. The snake is in the waterholes.
‘This painting is about the way women hunt Wardapi – that sand goanna. He digs holes in the dunes, makes his nest deep inside. Many of the holes all join up. Women hunt Wardapi in the dunes by digging out the holes. Sometimes cover one, and Wardapi runs out other one. Need to hunt him together. Find all the holes. Dig them at the same time. Someone going to get him that way.’
The Wardapi Jukurrpa [Varanus Gouldii Goanna] belongs to the Spencer Sisters. It comes from Yarripilangku [aka Yinyiripalangu], south-west of Yuendumu. A group of Warlpiri Karnta [women] are sitting down in a circle when a Japangardi Wati [man] from Puturlu [Mt Theo], called Wamaru came upon them. He wants to take one of them, named Yurlkurinyi, of Nungarrayi skin, which is the wrong skin for him. He takes the Nungarrayi woman up a hill, where they make love. In response, the earth on top of the hill turns to Ngunjungunju [white ochre], and yellow and red ochre. The yellow is for Karnta and the red for Wati. The ochre is used by Warlpiri people for love magic and ceremonial decoration. The Wati turns all the Karnta and himself into Wardapi, aka Varanus Gouldii goannas. This Jukurrpa belongs to the Napaljarri/Japaljarri and Nungarrayi /Jungarrayi subsections, and the Japanangka/Napanangka, Japangardi/Napangardi subsections of Puturlu. The women are often represented by ‘U’ shapes. Concentric circles may illustrate Wardapi holes, or their droppings left behind them, and Wardapi tracks are usually represented by ‘W’ shapes and wavy lines.
Emu looking around for water. This is a Dreaming story from my father’s country, other side of Yuendumu. Past Mandarin Station, through there and other side. Emu looking round for water, they are three waterholes. I’ve painted the country side after big rain, flowers everywhere. The emu is looking for yellow fruit to eat, with seed. The snake is in the waterholes.
Bush Tucker – we love to collect and eat it. We talk about where to find it, when to find it, all different ones – they all got special places, and special seasons, and special relationships with each other. We talk about all of that all the time. Bush Tucker is so good for us.