Djang'kawu facts for kids
The Djang'kawu are very important creation ancestors in the stories of the Yolngu people. The Yolngu live in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. This is one of the most important stories in Aboriginal Australian mythology. It is especially important for the Dhuwa group, which is a big part of the Yolngu people. The Djang'kawu story helps explain how the world was made and how the Dhuwa people came to be.
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Who are the Djang'kawu?
The Djang'kawu are three siblings: two sisters and one brother. Their job was to create the land of Australia and fill it with plants and animals. They are the ancestors of many Yolngu clans, especially the Rirratjingu clan. The Djang'kawu story is like the foundation for the Dhuwa group's culture and songs.
The Journey of Creation
The Djang'kawu started their journey from an island called Baralku (Burralku) in the east. They traveled by canoe at night, guided by the Morning Star (which is the planet Venus). They first landed at a place called Yalangbara.
The two sisters, Bitjiwurrurru and Madalatj, were very special. They carried important ceremonial laws and sacred items. These items were hidden in their baskets and mats. As they traveled, these sacred objects changed into different landforms.
They used their digging sticks to create freshwater wells at Yalangbara by pushing them into the sand. After this, their digging sticks turned into many different kinds of plants. Their clap sticks (called bilma) also turned into rock formations along their path.
At a place called Balma, high up in the sand dunes, the Djang'kawu sisters gave birth to the first people of the Rirratjingu clan. They also performed the very first ngarra ceremony. This ceremony is still one of the most important ones in the region today.
The Djang'kawu continued their journey westwards. As they went, they had more children. These children became the ancestors of other clans that belong to the Dhuwa group.
Meeting the Makassans
During their journey, the Djang'kawu met some people called Makassans (or Bayini). These people were cooking trepang (called dharripa) on an island named Wapilina in Lalawuy Bay. The Djang'kawu siblings asked the Makassans to leave their land.
The Djang'kawu in Art
The Djang'kawu story is often shown in bark paintings. A famous artist named Mawalan Marika created a collection of bark paintings called Djan'kawu story in 1959. These artworks are now kept at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Special Art Exhibition
A special art exhibition called Yalangbara: art of the Djang'kawu traveled around Australia. It was started by Mawalan Marika's daughter, an artist named Banduk Marika, and other family members. The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory helped put it together.
The exhibition opened at the National Museum of Australia in December 2010. It was the first big show of the Marika family's artwork. It showed about 50 different places on the Yalangbara peninsula that the Djang'kawu traveled through. The exhibition included new artworks, old bark paintings from the 1930s and 1950s, and drawings. It even had a Djang'kawu digging stick, which is usually kept with the Yirrkala bark petitions in Parliament House in Canberra. The exhibition also visited Darwin and Perth in 2011 and 2012.
Why the Story is Important
The Djang'kawu story and the places connected to it are very important to the Yolngu people. Because of its great importance, the Yalangbara area is being considered for inclusion in the National Heritage List or Commonwealth Heritage List. This means it would be officially recognized as a special place for all of Australia.
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