Women’s Dreaming

This dreaming tells about women’s ceremony. It affirms womens place in Warlpiri society.  The Dreaming story marks large tracks of land of which women are guardian over.  Particular men are workers for the women. They are called kurdungurlu.  This works in reverse as well, where the particular women work for particular men. Only the women know this dreaming. It talks about travelling from north to south, west to east into the new sun signifying a new day and new life.  They teaching all the young kids. They all teach people from different skin groups, so that the dreamings are passed along to the young children.

This Jukurrpa (Dreaming) tells the story of women’s ceremony and affirms their place in Warlpiri society. It is a story that is only known by the women and marks the land that is governed by them. The women travel across the Tanami desert, from the north to the south, and the west to the east as they walk into the rising sun, which is symbolic of a new day and new life, teaching the children. It is the responsibility of the women to teach this Jukurrpa to people from different skin groups, so that it’s passed along to the young children.