Details of Tjala ( Honey Ants ) FRAMED

Catalog Number : 23412
Size : 70cm x 100cm
Medium : acrylic on paper
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Mick is telling the story of the Tjala or honey ants which are found about a metre underground beneath Mulga trees. The honey ant tunnels that lead down to other ants nests are called nyinantu. The honey ant lavae are called ipilyka- ipilyka. Honey Ants are a highly favoured food source. When the Pitjantjatjarra go looking for honey ants they look for the drill holes under the trees. When they see them, they shovel and dig down, following the tunnels to find the honey ants inside. They suck the honey-like liquid from the abdomen of the honey ant. The story of the honey ant is told across the Northern Territory into South Australia. The Honey Ant is an important link between Anangu mythology and interdependence on the environment. The Honey Ant Ancestors are related to the country around Amata. Mick said his Ancestor are the Tjala, his dreaming or Creation story. The circles are the holes dug by the women looking for Tjala.