Painting - Juliette Nampijinpa Brown

Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) - Mikanji by Juliette Nampijinpa Brown

Artwork story:

The country associated with this 'ngapa Jukurrpa' (water Dreaming) is Mikanji, a watercourse west of Yuendumu that is usually dry. There are 'mulju' (soakages) in this creek bed. The 'kirda' (owners) of this Dreaming site are Nangala/Nampijinpa women and Jangala/Jampijinpa men. Mikanji is an important water Dreaming site, and features in at least three different water Dreaming tracks.

In one story, the water Dreaming travelled from Puyurru, northwest of Yuendumu, to a 'mulju' (soakage) in the Mikanji creek. It unleashed a huge storm there. Two old blind women of the Nampijinpa skin group were sitting by the side of the soakages. As the two women strained their eyes to see the sky, tears formed in their eyes, creating the rain. Their spirits can still be seen at Mikanji in the form of two 'ngapiri' (river red gums) growing near the soakage.

A second water Dreaming track that passes through Mikanji is also owned by the Nangala/Jangala and Nampijinpa/Jampijinpa subsections, and travels further west. At Mikanji, the storm rained so hard it created a hole in the ground which became a soakage.

At Mirawarri a 'kirrkarlanji' (brown falcon [Falco berigora]) picked up the storm and carried it on its wings to the west until it became too heavy for it. The falcon eventually dropped the storm at Pirlinyarnu (Mt. Farewell) about 165 km west of Yuendumu, where it formed an enormous 'maluri' (claypan). A 'mulju' (soakage) exists in this place today.

About the supplier: 

Warlukurlangu Artists is one of the longest running and most successful Aboriginal-owned art centres in Central Australia. Read more

Product details: 

Dimensions: 300 x 300 mm prestretched

Material: Acrylic on canvas

Painted in Central Australia (NT)