William Sandy

William made the sculpture of the Wanambi- the Rainbow Serpent, from eucalyptus wood and painted it with acrylic paints. He shows the encounter of the ngangkari who took the shape of an eagle-hawk with the Wanambi.

This is his personal story of healing his tribal brother. In William’s words the story goes thus: My brother and me were trying to sleep next to a fire but he was not well and I tried to make him well. After a while I saw his eyes close and !fell asleep as well. What happened next we might call a dream, but I know that it happened and it is true. I was flying above our camp and saw us two on the ground. My brother was moaning. I was flying to a waterhole were the Wanambi lives deep down there. I flew close to the waterhole and landed next to it. I was now a spirit man not an eagle­hawk The Wanambi came up; it looked like a snake with a dog’s face. I was thinking it must be my grandmother when !felt hands touching my face. Before the sun came up I woke up. My brother was already sitting next to the fire. I asked him, you better? He said, palya, I am better, thank you. That’s all I can tell you.

William’s personal totem is the wild dog Dingo, papa in his language. He knows many stories, myths and story lines of the Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) about which he learned during his time of initiation.