Maggie Napaljarri Ross

The Mininypa Jukurrpa (native fuchsia [Eromophila spp.] Dreaming) is about a Jungarrayi man called Lintipilinti who lived at Ngarlu, which means ‘red rock’, a country to the east of Yuendumu. Lintipilinti fell in love with a Napangardi woman, a forbidden relationship under Warlpiri law, as the woman was his classificatory mother-in-law. Lintipilinti fell in love with the Napangardi woman when he saw the large hole in the ground she made when she urinated. Lintipilinti was aroused by this. He began to wonder how he could woo the Napangardi. He went to Ngarlu and made hair string for her, singing as he worked. The Napangardi woman could not sleep and began to feel sick. She realized that someone was singing Yilpinji (love songs) for her. A little bird visited the Napangardi woman every day. The little bird was taking the Jungarrayi’s love songs to her. The force of the Jungarrayi’s love songs pulled the Napangardi woman to Lintipilinti. When the two met again they made love but they were turned to stone, as their relationship was taboo according to Warlpiri religious law. The two can still be seen, as two rocks at Ngarlu today. During the course of these events the women from Ngarlu who gossiped about the wrong skin love union turned into ‘miinypa’. These are plants are also called ‘yanyirlingi’. They have small red flowers with honey inside them which are delicious to eat, tasting like ice-cream. Ngarlu is a sacred place where ‘miinypa’ are still commonly found today.