Mina Mina Jukurrpa (Mina Mina Dreaming) – Ngalyipi
Catalog Number: 1080/11ny
Story:
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.
Bio:
Marilyn Maria Nangala Turner was born in 1979 in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Nyirripi, a remote Aboriginal community 450 km north-west of Alice Springs in the NT of Australia. She is the granddaughter of Paddy Japanangka Lewis (Dec), multi-talented, he was both a successful artist with Warlukurlangu Artists and a performer featuring in a number of feature films.
When Marilyn Maria was little she went to Yuendumu Primary School for a short while then to Yirara College, an Aboriginal college in Alice Springs. She did further studies at Batchelor College, Alice Springs. In 2005 she returned to Nyirripi. She has one boy born in 2007.
Marilyn likes painting, “It makes me feel better”. She has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 2006, shortly after the Art Centre started dropping off canvas, paint and brushes for artists living in Nyirripi. She mainly paints her Grandfather’s Jukurrpa stories, Mina Mina Jukurrpa, Dreamings associated with her grandfather’s country Mina Mina, a place far to the west of Nyirripi and 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. Marilyn Maria is working hard to develop a modern interpretation of her traditional culture. She has had one solo exhibition and has exhibited in a number of Group Exhibitions.
When Marilyn Maria is not painting or looking after her son she likes to go hunting.
Artwork is accompanied by Warlukurlangu Artists (Yuendumu) Art Centre Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance.