Spinifex people have a strong spiritual relationship with the Great Victoria Desert and the Tjukurpa embedded within it Their Lands are a beautiful but harsh environment in the most arid...
Spinifex people have a strong spiritual relationship with the Great Victoria Desert and the Tjukurpa embedded within it Their Lands are a beautiful but harsh environment in the most arid continent on the earth. Survival here required intimate knowledge Of their country, the Spinifex sand plains, including where to find drinkable water Often hidden beneath the sand, how to placate the spirit guardians and what was edible food in the scarce arid gardens. Thus it is no surprise that these elements feature strongly in their works. Water sources and rock holes have both spiritual and secular significance. They are the home to many ancestral spirit beings Often in the form Of Wanampi's (Serpents) who guard the rock holes and must be treated with great respect. On approaching such places customary rituals must be performed correctly according to the Law. Tjukurpa is a deep and complex religious tradition generally referring to the energy of creation manifest in spirit beings, ancestors, animals, plants and geology. This Law is secret and privy only to initiated men and women. Tjukurpa is past, present and future all at the same time a force equally active today. It is a guide for living life well explaining the relationships between people, plants, animals and the physical features of the land.