Ngapa Reanne

Ngapa Jukurrpa – Water Dreaming – Mikanji

The country associated with this Ngapa Jukurrpa (water Dreaming) is Mikanji, a watercourse west of Yuendumu that is usually dry. There are « mulju » (soakages) in this creek bed. The Kirda (owners) of this Dreaming site are Nangala/Nampijinpa women and Jangala/jampijinpa men. Mikanji is an important water Dreaming site, and features inat least three different water Dreaming tracks.

In on strory, the water Dreaming travelled from Puyurru, northwest of Yuendumu, to a « mulju » in the Mikanji creek. It unleashed a huge storm there. Two old blind women of the Nampijinpa skin group were sitting by the side of the soakages. As the two women strained their eyes to see the sky, tears formed in their eyes, creating the rain. Their spirits can still be seen at Mikanji in the form of two « ngapiri » (river red gums) growing near the soakage.

A second water Dreaming track that passes through Mikanji is also owned by the Nangala/Nampijinpa women and Jangala/jampijinpa subsections, and travels further west. At Mikanji, the storm rained so hard it created a hole in the ground which became a soakage. At Mirawarri, a kirrkarlanji (brown falcon) picked up the storm and carried it on its wings to the west until it vecame too heavy for it. The falcon evenutally dropped the storm at Pirlinyarnu (MT. Farewell) about 165km west of Yuendumu, where it formed an enormous maluri (claypan). A mulju (soakage) exists in this place today.

A third Dreaming track that passes throught Mikanji is the story of the water Dreaming and « pamapardu Jukurrpa » (termite Dreaming). This Dreaming travels further north. The termite and water Dreamings travelled together from Warntungurru in the east past Warlura (a waterhole 8 miles east of Yuendumu). A portion of this Dreaming track also includes the « Kurdukurdu mangkurdu Jukurrpa (children of the clouds Dreaming).