Kana-Kurlangu by Dorothy Napangardi 122x198cm

Kana-Kurlangu (Digging Sticks) (2004) by Dorothy Napangardi – A Sacred Women’s Dreaming

The first image offers a close-up view of this striking painting. Click through the images to explore the full artwork and a photograph of Dorothy Napangardi with the final piece.

Dorothy Napangardi’s Kana-Kurlangu (Digging Sticks) (2004) portrays the sacred ceremonial site of Mina Mina, the artist’s custodial Country, located near Lake Mackay in the Tanami Desert, north of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory of Australia.

The Dreaming Story Behind Mina Mina

During the Jukurrpa(the Dreaming or Creation period), ancestral women of the Napangardi and Napanangka kinship group moved through their Country, dancing and singing the world into existence. As they journeyed, their sacred songs caused digging sticks (kana-kurlangu) to rise from the ground, eventually transforming into a majestic forest of desert oak trees.

These slow-growing desert oaks( Allocasuarina decaisneana ) play a vital role in the Women’s Dreaming (Karntakurlangu Tjukurrpa), meaning "belonging to women". With root systems reaching at least one-third of their height deep into the earth to access water, these iconic trees are an enduring presence in the far western Central Desert landscape. Their spiritual and ecological significance is deeply embedded in many Dreaming stories.

Aerial Perspective and Versatile Display

As with most of Napangardi’s works, Kana-Kurlangu (Digging Sticks) adopts an aerial perspective, mapping ancestral journeys across Country. The painting can be displayed in landscape or portrait orientation, offering a dynamic visual experience that mirrors the fluidity of the Dreaming stories it represents.