Judy Napangardi Watson

‘Mina Mina Jukurrpa’ by Judy Watson. The country associated with this Jukurrpa is Mina Mina, a place far to the west of Yuendumu, which is significant to Napangardi/Napanangka women and Japangardi/Japanangka men. All of them are the custodians of the Jukurrpa that created the area. The Jukurrpa story tells of the journey of a group of women of all ages who travelled to the east gathering food, collecting ngalyipi (snake vine – Tinospora smilacina) and performing ceremonies as they travelled. The women began their journey at Mina Mina where karlangu (digging sticks) emerged from the ground. Taking these implements the women travelled east creating Janyinki and other sites. Their journey took them far to the east beyond the boundaries of Warlpiri country. The ngalyipi vine grows up the trunks and limbs of the kurrkara (desert oak – Allocasuarina decaisneana) trees. Ngalyipi is a sacred vine to Napangardi and Napanangka women that has many uses. It can be used as a ceremonial wrap, as a strap to carry parrajas (wooden bowls) that are laden with bush tucker and as a tourniquet for headaches. The wavy lines represent the snake vine, the ‘u’ shapes the women, the circular shapes are edible mushrooms the women collect on their travels and the two straight lines in the middle represent digging sticks.