Ngapa Jukurrpa - Pirlinyarnu

Ngapa Jukurrpa or Water Dreaming for Warlpiri people have several different key and sacred sites. One of these is at Pirlinyarnu which is 135km from Yuendumu Community in Central Australia. The owners of this Dreaming are the Nangala and Nampijinpa women and the Jangala and Jampijinpa men of the Warlpiri tribe. 

The Dreaming tells of two rainmakers, Jangala's, who sang the rain unleashing a giant storm which collided with another storm from Wapurtali at Mirawarri. The Kirrakarlanji carried the storm further west from Mirawarri. The two storms travelled across the country from Karlipirnpa, a ceremonial site for the Water Dreaming near Kintore that is owned by members of the Napaljarri and Japaljarri as well as the Napanangka and Japanangka subsections of Warlpiri people. 

Along the way the storms passed through Juntiparnta, a site that is owned by Jampijinpa men. The storm eventually became to heavy for the falcon It dropped the water at Pirlinyarnu, where it formed an enormous Maluri. A Mulju exists in this place today. Whenever it rains today hundreds of Ngapagarlpa (Bush Ducks) still flock to Pirlinyarnu. 

In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent Mangkurdu (Cumulus & Stratocumulus Clouds) and longer flowing lines represent Ngawarra (flood waters). Small circles are used to represent the Mulju and river beds.