Jajirrdi Jukurrpa (Western Quoll) by Ritasha Nampijinpa Martin

‘Jajirrdi’ is the Warlpiri name for the western quoll (Dasyurus geoffrii), which has been described as being “a small animal with a spotted back, hand-like paws, ears like a rat’s and a flat tail”. Male & female quolls share parental responsibilities. In the time of the Jukurrpa a pair of ancestral Jajirrdi travelled through the Wapurtali (Mt. Singleton) area to the west of Yuendumu. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, associated sites and other elements. Long continuous lines are often used to depict the tracks of ancestral Jajirrdi while small circles usually depict the holes in which they nest. Concentric circles are used to show the specific locations where the Jajirrdi travelled, which include Kuralyka, Wapurtali and Yilyarduwanu.