Quilted Baby Bag 14x20 cm-AAD777

The sisters created the landscape as they tried to escape from Wati Nyiru. They created a rock hole which went under the ground and came up on the other side of the hill. The women dived into the water then flew up into the sky. Wati Nyiru followed them . Now, Wati Nyiru can be seen to the south of the seven sisters (the Pleiades), as he still chases them across the sky.

Quilted Baby Bag 14x20 cm-SIT179

Simplicia paints a story about an old lady who travelled around with her six kids looking for food and water. When the old lady couldn't find anything, she started making a hole and then the water came out. Lots of different animals came to the waterhole. The old lady made four islands like Darwin, Bathurst and here (Melville Island). She made the waters and all the sea animals like crabs, barramundis, mud mussels, longbums, stingrays, turtles, dugongs, fishes that were good for food. Then she made the islands. The old lady travelled with her kids on her back, making the islands. Old and young people came and they were making a fire and dancing around it. They were happy for all the water everywhere.

Quilted Baby Bag 14x20 cm-SJN668

Janganpa Jukurrpa (common brush-tail possum [Trichosurus vulpecula] Dreaming) travels all over Warlpiri country. Janganpa are nocturnal animals that often nest in the hollows of white gum trees (wapunungka). This story comes from a big hill called Mawurrji, west of Yuendumu and north of Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs). A group of janganpa ancestors resided there. Every night they would go out in search of food. Their hunting trips took them to Wirlki and Wanapirdi, where they found pamapardu (flying ants). They journeyed on to Ngarlkirdipini looking for water. A Nampijinpa women was living at Mawurrji with her two daughters. She gave her daughters in marriage to a Jupurrurla janganpa but later decided to run away with them. The Jupurrurla angrily pursued the woman. He tracked them to Mawurrji where he killed them with a stone axe. Their bodies are now rocks at this place. Warlpiri people perform a young men's initiation ceremony, which involves the Janganpa Jukurrpa. The Janganpa Jukurrpa belongs to Jakamarra/Jupurrurla men and Nakamarra/Napurrurla women. In Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent this Jukurrpa. Janganpa tracks are often represented as E shaped figures and concentric circles are used to depict the trees in which the janganpa live, and also the sites at Mawurrji.

Big Tote Bags - 48x35x15cm-LWA624

Wakirlpirri is a very useful tree that grows on the sides of creek beds and near mulga trees. The seeds of this tree can be eaten raw or cooked on the fire. A deliciously sweet drink called yinjirrpi is made from the seeds when they have been dried. The wood can be used to make weapons such as karli (boomerangs) and dancing boards for ceremonies.