17 AM 5920/08
Ruth Napaljarri Stewart Ngatijirri Jukurrpa (Budgerigar Dreaming) 2007
Acrylic on linen 1220 x 760mm SOLD
The Jukurrpa site shown in this painting for Ngatijirri (Budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulatus) is at Yangarnmpi
south of Yuendumu. Ngatijirri are small, bright green birds native to central Australia and common around the
Yuendumu area, especially after the summer rains. Men would hunt for Ngatijirri nests, robbing them of eggs
and juvenile birds, which are both considered as delicacies. The men would also go out hunting for adult, flying
Ngatijirri, which they would kill by swinging branches, killing sticks or Karli (boomerangs) to hit the birds in
flight. The Ngatijirri travelled to Yangarnmpi from Patirlirri, near Willowra to the east of Yuendumu and travelled
further on to Marngangi, north/west of Mount Dennison and west of Yuendumu.
Each time the flock of ancestral Ngatijirri lands they perform ceremonies, singing and dancing as they fly and
roost in the trees and the sites of these ceremonies are depicted in this painting as concentric circles. In Warlpiri
paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements and
cross-like shapes depict the footprints of the birds on the ground and give an indication of the large flocks of
Ngatijirri that can be found near Yangarnmpi and other sites close to Yuendumu. After good rains Ngatijirri can
successfully breed several times, resulting in an explosion of the population in a short time. Custodians for the
Ngatijirri Jukurrpa are Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women and Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men.