17 AM 5443/07
Janet Nakamarra Long Damper Seed Dreaming 2007
Acrylic on linen 2540 x 1800mm $18000
Damper Seed – 10 ft X 6 ft canvas
Dreaming – Damper Seed (ngurlu)
Skin Group - Nakamarra, Jupurrurla, Napurrurla, Jakamarra
Place – Pirliwarnawarna/Janjipi

Long ago the Spinifex Pidgeon (ngarntipi) creation story tells us that the journey started in the south, at Janjipi.
It is said
that here he made the designs for the body that would represent his family and skingroup that belong to the
Damper Seed Dreaming. He was painting the design and looking at his reflection in the rockhole (represented by
the circle in the middle) while singing different songs that became the creation.

The two large lines moving across the painting represent these ancestral lines, as he started in the south and
traveled north. As he was traveling north and singing he called to the others on his way to Pirliwarnawarna to
tell them that the seeds were ready for harvest. All the pidgeons from near and far heard him and came to collect
the seeds with him, flapping their wings and gathering the seeds underneath the spinifex. They would then
leave the seeds on the flat termite mounds (represented by the brown circles and the white dots, which are the
seeds) The orange bull ants would clean the seeds by removing all the sticks, sand and grass, etc., leaving the
seeds in a big mound to be gathered later by the women. The women waited a few days to allow the seeds to
dry out in the sun. He had no grinding stones of his own, so he took them from his family in Pirliwarnawarna,
which caused him trouble. Later he had to return them in a good way because this place was too powerful and
sacred, having it’s own designs already.

The women gathered the seeds and put them in the cooloman to take home. They would then remove the husk
by winnowing the seeds with the cooloman. Later they would grind the seeds and make it into Damper cakes or
bread. You can see these ladies sitting in their circles (the black U shape) with their digging sticks and
coolamans right next to the spinifex. The brown oblong circles with the white dots are the grinding stones, while
the cakes are the golden yellow oblongs. Nearby you will also see the grubs that live in the ground under the
spinifex. They soften the roots after the rains come which makes it easier to harvest. You can also see the body
designs that the pidgeon painted on himself, as well as his dancing sticks, that are powerful and sacred in their
own right. After the creation was finished the pidgeon returned to Janjipi and lived happy with his family to the
end of his days. The people remember his creation through the stories, songs and dance that commemorate his travels.