This artwork depicts the movement of the Mina Mina women (ancestors) as they journeyed across salt Lake Mackay, a significant site near Yuendumu in Central Australia. Throughout their travels the Warlpiri women used digging sticks during their ceremonies, as well as gathering bush tucker.

This is the sacred Mina Mina site and the ancestral home for the Napangardi and Napanangka family groups.

Many of these family groups produce art works that depict this journey of their ancestors as they crossed the desert to reach the Mina Mina site. Even today the Warlpiri women regularly gather at this site in a ceremony to re-enact this Dreaming story. Here they paint each other’s bodies with Dreaming designs and chant and dance the age old creation story.

Mina Mina is also the birthplace of the digging stick and a large stand of Eucalyptus trees (Casuarina Decaisneana) now stand where tradition says the digging sticks emerged from the ground.

If you would like to know more about Mina Mina and the relationship with Aboriginal Art and culture, please read the following articles to to view video footage of Warlpiri women dancing during ceremony:

• Aboriginal Women
• Yuendumu Aboriginal Art: Aboriginal Paintings from Central Desert
• Aboriginal women dancing - Video of Warlpiri women dancing during ceremony