Janganpa Jukurrpa (Brush-tail Possum Dreaming) - Mawurrji by Jorna Nelson Napurrurla, 61x61cm 11137JN

Janganpa Jukurrpa, or Common Brush-tail Possum Dreaming, is a significant narrative that spans the Warlpiri country. One notable segment of this story originates from a prominent hill called Mawurrji, located west of Yuendumu and north of Pikilyi (Vaughan Springs). This area features a Mulju (water soakage) created by the Janganpa ancestor. Jorna Nelson Napurrurla’s painting captures the trees where the possums reside and the significant sites at Mawurrji. This Dreaming is integral to the Warlpiri people's young men's initiation ceremony.

Jorna Napurrurla Nelson, born around 1928/1932 near Mt Doreen, west of Yuendumu, passed away in Nyirripi in 2011. A native Warlpiri speaker, she lived in both Yuendumu and Nyirripi, remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory of Australia. As a child, Jorna lived a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle, traveling the desert with her parents and sisters Peggy and Lorna, learning traditional ways of living. Yuendumu was established in 1946, and by 1955, Jorna and her family had settled there, like many other Warlpiri people.

In 1987, Jorna began painting with the Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation. Her artwork depicted Jukurrpa stories, or Dreamings, passed down from her parents. These stories are deeply connected to her land, illustrating its features, flora, and fauna. Her paintings often focused on sacred sites and the plants and animals in the surrounding area.