Karen Napaljarri Barnes

Marlu Jukurrpa (Red Kangaroo Dreaming) Yarnardilyi & Jurnti This painting depicts the Marlu Jukurrpa (red kangaroo [Macropus rufus] Dreaming) who came from Nyirampi in the East to Yuparni. ‘Marlu’ are highly valued as a food source by Warlpiri people. In the story of this painting an old ancestral kangaroo named Warlawee, who made its camp at Jurnti and moves from place to place – hunting during the day and returning at night to the camp, which it has formed by digging depressions in the soft ground. Warlawee travelled around large areas of country looking for their preferred foods, which include ‘yukuri’ (fresh green growth) and ‘Yulkardi’ (desert cucumber, a low growing herb found underneath ‘mulga’ trees which is used by the Walpiri people for medicinal purposes. He is thinking about having a ceremony for men. Women are not permitted to dance in this ceremony for men. This Jukurrpa is the custodial responsibility of Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men and Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements. Concentric circles are often used in depictions of this story to represent the rocks at Yarnardilyi. The arc shapes depict the kangaroo’s camp in the Jurnti area and ’E’ and hooked shapes usually depict the ‘marlu wirliya’ (kangaroo fore and hind footprints) while long, straight lines represent the ‘marlu ngirnti’ (kangaroo tail tracks).