Keeping the Water Dreaming Alive: Mainie's Collaboration with Warlpiri Women Artists

Juka Juka, a sacred Water Dreaming site on the Warlpiri Homelands

 

Mainie Australia’s collaboration with Warlpiri women artists from the Warlukurlangu Artists is more than a partnership; it is a profound journey into the heart of the world’s oldest living culture.

 

Through a collection of exquisite silk and modal scarf designs, Mainie and the Warlpiri artists are keeping alive the Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) stories—timeless narratives that have been passed down through countless generations over tens of thousands of years.

 

The Essence of Water in Warlpiri Culture

 

In the arid Tanami Desert, water is life. For the Warlpiri people, Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) stories embody the spiritual and practical significance of water. These stories map the landscape, identifying permanent water sources such as soakages and natural springs that sustain life in this harsh environment. They also celebrate the transformative power of rain, which brings the desert to life with vibrant wildflowers and abundant bush foods during the wet season.

 

The Story of Ngapa Jukurrpa

 

The Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming) is a sacred Dreaming story of the Warlpiri people, deeply rooted in their cultural and spiritual traditions. It originates from Wapurtali (Mt. Singleton), west of Yuendumu in the Tanami Desert, and is one of the key Dreaming narratives passed down through countless generations.

 

The story revolves around the life-giving force of water, a precious resource in the arid desert environment. It tells of a giant storm created when smoke from cooking a marlu (kangaroo) at a place called Jalkirri transformed into milpirri (cumulonimbus clouds). This storm travelled across the land, bringing rain that shaped the landscape, forming waterholes and soakages critical for survival.

 

The storm was carried by a bird until it became too heavy and fell to the ground as rain. This Dreaming narrative not only serves as a spiritual guide but also provides practical knowledge about water sources and their locations, ensuring survival in the desert's harsh conditions.

 

Ngapa Jukurrpa is more than a myth; it symbolises the interconnectedness of life, the renewal brought by rain and the balance between nature and humanity. Its custodians are members of the Nakamarra/Napurrurla and Jakamarra/Jupurrurla families, who continue to honour and share this sacred story through art, ceremony and oral tradition.

Ngapa Jukuurpa: A Water Dreaming design by Christina Nakamarra Curtis brought to life on Mainie's Storm Cloud Silk Scarf

 

Preserving Cultural Heritage Through Art

 

Mainie’s collaboration with Warlpiri artists breathes new life into these ancient stories, transforming them into wearable art. Each scarf design is a visual retelling of Ngapa Jukurrpa, connecting wearers with the sacred stories of the desert.

 

Silk Scarf Designs:

• Storm Cloud by Christine Nakamarra Curtis depicts rain-laden clouds rolling over the desert.
• Desert Rain by Bessie Nakamarra Sims illustrates the Water Dreaming story with vibrant hues and intricate patterns.
• Desert Country by Rosina Napurrurla White captures the breathtaking beauty of the desert landscape, capturing its rich ochres and earthy tones

 

Modal Scarf Designs:

• Rain Bird by Kelly Nakamarra Kelly captures the essence of a bird carrying a storm.
• Fire and Rain by Phyllis Napurrurla Williams juxtaposes fire’s intensity with the life-giving power of water.
• Storm Bird by Christine Nakamarra Curtis celebrates the bird’s role in the Ngapa Jukurrpa.

 

Mainie Australia Modal scarf designs depicting the Ngapa Jukurrpa: Storm Bird by Christine Nakamarra Curtis, Fire and Rain by Phyllis Napurrurla Williams, and Rain Bird by Vivienne Nakamarra Kelly

 

The Warlukurlangu Artists and Their Mission

 

Founded in 1985, Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit art centre based in Yuendumu. An important Aboriginal owned and controlled stronghold for the preservation of the Warlpiri language and culture, it is renowned for its vibrant artworks, which share Dreaming stories with the world. 

 

Mainie ensures that all arts are ethically acquired and reproduced in accordance with the Indigenous Art Code. The artists receive royalties, empowering them and their communities while safeguarding cultural heritage.

 

A Landscape of Significance

 

Warlpiri homelands span the Tanami Desert, a vast and rugged region of cultural and ecological importance. The Ngapa Jukurrpa stories are intricately tied to this land, serving as guides to its resources and custodians of its sacred sites.

 

These stories are also a testament to the resilience of the Warlpiri people, who have preserved their exceptional cultural heritage despite the profound challenges of colonisation and cataclysmic events such as the Coniston Massacre of 1928.

 

A Legacy of Wisdom

 

The Ngapa Jukurrpa embodies the Warlpiri’s deeply held respect for their environment. It teaches lessons of balance, sustainability and the interconnectedness of all life. By wearing Mainie scarves, supporters of ethical and sustainable fashion become part of this legacy, while celebrating the beauty and wisdom of Warlpiri culture.

 

 

Ngapa Jukuurpa: Water Dreaming designs brought to life on Mainie's Silk Scarves:  Desert Rain by Bessie Nakamarra Sims and Desert Country by Rosina Napurrurla White

 

Conclusion

 

Mainie Australia’s collaboration with traditional Warlpiri women artists is a unique and meaningful melding of cultural preservation and ethical fashion. Through the artistry of the Warlpiri women, the Ngapa Jukurrpa continues to inspire, educate and connect us with the essence of life: water.

 

These scarves are not just fashion statements; they are stories, lifelines and bridges between worlds. By embracing them, we honour the enduring spirit of the Warlpiri people and their timeless connection to their homelands.

 

Learn more about the Mainie wearable art collection, our authentic Aboriginal designs and the artists who created them at www.mainie.com.au

 

Founded in 2012, by Gunggari Aboriginal woman, Charmaine (Mainie) Saunders, Mainie Australia is a Supply Nation Certified Indigenous Owned Business and an Indigenous Art Code Member.