Janganpa Jukurrpa

Janganpa Jukurrpa or Possum Dreaming travels all over Warlpiri country. Janganpa are nocturnal animals that often nest in the hollows of White Gums. This story comes from a big hill called Mawurrji to the west of Yuendumu and north of Pikilyi in Central Australia. A group of Janganpa ancestors resided there and every night they would go out in search of food. Their hunting trips took them to Wirlki and Wanapirdi, where they found Pamapardu (Flying Ants). They journeyed on to Ngarlkirdipini looking for water. A Nampijinpa woman was living at Mawurrji with her two daughters. She gave the daughters in marriage to a Jupurrurla Janganpa but later decided to run away with them. The Jupurrurla angrily pursued the woman. He tracked them to Mawurrji where he killed them with a stone axe. Their bodies are now rocks at this place. 

Warlpiri people perform a young men's initiation ceremony which involves the Janganpa Jukurrpa. The Janganpa Jukurrpa belongs to Jakamarra/Jupurrurla men and Nakamarra/Napurrurla women. In Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Dreaming. In the example of this Dreaming by Frank Japanangka on the left hand side shows the Janganpa tracks represented as E shaped figures and concentric circles are used to represent the trees in which the Janganpa live and also the sites at Mawurrji.