Rosalie Miller Jugadai Napaltjarri

This painting depicts designs connected to the sacred site of Karrinyarra, to the north of Papunya. This is a Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) and Yalka Tjukurrpa (Bush Onion) place. This is a place where the women collect yalka. If present, concentric circles represent water holes or yalka. Often women are depicted as U shapes, with their wana or digging stick and oval shaped coolamon by their side. Bush onions may be eaten raw or cooked after removing the hard casing. They are small onion sedge with corms on shallow roots, the size of a small shallot. The women would perform a traditional ceremony in honour of the Bush Onion where they dance with ceremonial body designs. They also decorate their bodies with feathers and dance with ceremonial objects such as nulla nullas (ceremonial dancing baton).