Description
Artist: WILSON MANYDJARRI GANAMBARR
Category: PRINT
Size/ medium: 32 x 25cm / PRINT
This miny’tji (design) represents the waterholes at Garriyak during the dry session. The waterholes were created by the Djan’kawu Sisters, as travelled across land and sea giving the people and country their language, ceremony and customs. The waterholes are dry yet retain their significance.
Manydjarri explains, ‘The ancestral Djan’kawu Sisters are travelling from the Yirratjingu people at Yalangbarra (on the east Arnhem mainland) west to Garriyak, south of Elcho Island.
Wherever they stop, they change their language, names, clan, ceremony and customs. They gave these things to the people. They also made Gapu Milminydjarrk or Milngurr (water holes) by driving their dhorna or ganinyidi (digging sticks) into the ground.
The Sisters gave miku (red), watharr (white) and buthjalak (yellow) ochre colours for us to paint with. We use them for the Ŋarra law ceremony, which is a cleansing ceremony. These designs also refer to our clan totem animals such as djanda (goanna), nyoka (crab), wanduma or gudumurrku (fresh water cat fish), bowarta (turkey), ŋatili (black cockatoo) and the worrudj (colourful parrot).’
