Bamboo Dreaming Shirt in Mina Mina

Mina Mina Jukurrpa (Mina mina Dreaming) – Ngalyipi

This ‘Jukurrpa” (Dreaming) comes from Mina Mina, a very important women’s Dreaming  site far to the west of Yuendumu near Lake Mackay and the WA boarder. The ‘kirda’ (owners) of this Dreaming are Napangardi/Napanangka women and Japangardi/Japanangka men; the are is sacred to Napangardi and Napanangka women. There are a number of ‘mulju’ (water soakages) and a ‘maluri’ (clay pan) at Mina Mina.

In the Dreamtime, ancestral women danced at Mina Mina and ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks) rose up out of the ground. The women collected the digging sticks and then travelled on the east, dancing, digging for bush tucker, collecting ‘ngalyipi’ (snake vine [ Tinospora smilacina]), and creating many places as they went. ‘Ngalyipi’ is a rope like creeper that grows up the trunks and limbs of trees, including ‘kurrkara’ (desert oak [Allocasuarina decaisneana])/ It is used as a ceremonial wrap and as a strap to carry ‘parraja’ (coolamons) and ‘ngam’ (water carriers). ‘Ngalyipi’ is also used to tie around the forehead to cure headaches, and to blind cuts.

The women stopped at Karntakurlangu, Janyinki, Parapurnta, Kimayi, and Munyuparntiparnti, sites spanning from the west to the east of Yundumu. When they stopped, the women dug for bush foods like ‘jintiparnts’ (desert truffle [Elderia arenivaga]). The Dreaming track eventually took them far beyond Warlpiri country. The track passed through Coniston in Anmatyerre country to the east, and then went on to Alcoota and Aileron far to the northeast of Yuendumu and eventually on into Queensland.

In Warlpiri paintings, traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, sinuous lines are used to represent the ‘ngalyipi’ (snake vine). Concentric circles are often used to represent the ‘jintiparnta’ (desert truffles) that the women have collected, while straight lines can be used to depict the ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks).

Artist: Kristy Anne Napanangka brown

GARMENT INFO

• Organically grown wild bamboo
• Loose fit
• Chest pocket
• Bamboo wood-look buttons

COMPOSITION

65%  Bamboo Fiber  35% Cotton

Care and Use Instructions: cold machine wash with like colours. Do not bleach, soak or rub

Do not tumble dry. Warm iron, Do not dry clean