Yarla manu Janganpa (Bush Potato and Possum Dreaming) by Stephanie Napurrurla Nelson

In this painting Napaljarri and Nungarrayi women are digging for ‘yarla’ (bush potato [Ipomea costata]) at Kurdawurru, north of Yuendumu. The ‘karnta’ (women) use ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks) and ‘parraja’ (wooden carrying dishes) to collect the ‘yarla’. After being cooked slowly in the hot ashes of the fire, the ‘yarla’ is eaten. Also shown here is the Janganpa Jukurrpa (brush-tailed possum Dreaming). The country associated with this Dreaming is Mungapunju, a hill south of Yuendumu. ‘Yapa’ (Warlpiri people) used to hunt for ‘janganpa’ with ‘ngiji’ (fire sticks). They would smoke the possums out of the hollow trees at night, while they were foraging, then hit them with a stick, to kill them and eat them. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, associated sites and other elements. Typically the women are represented by the ‘U’ shapes. Concentric circles depict the hollow trees where the ‘janganpa’ live, curvy lines represent tracks made by the ‘janganpa’s ngirnti’ (possum’s tail) as he runs between the trees and ‘E’ shapes depict the possum’s ‘wirliya’ (footprints).