Petrina Bedford Australian, Ngarinyin, b. 1998
Petrina Bedford Australian, Ngarinyin, b. 1998
Three Tribes, 2026
acrylic on linen
82 x 110 cm
838420
The three tribes are the Worrora, Wunumbul and Ngarinyin. The three tribes represent the Wandjina who made them for what they are today. They're from the North Kimberley region of...
The three tribes are the Worrora, Wunumbul and Ngarinyin. The three tribes represent the Wandjina who made them for what they are today. They're from the North Kimberley region of Western Australia. The area that makes up the three tribes starts from Oobagooma which is 150km north of the coast of Derby, east across towards inland to Iminji and all the way up to Kalumburru. The tribes have travelled, moved and lived together and share stories, culture and language with different dialects. They still follow the law, culture and language of the land today carrying on strong and sharing it.
From left to right we have Wannalirri (Ngarinyin) Wandjina. He was the Wandjina that brought all the Wandjinas together to send the big flood to drown people, because of what the children had done to the Dumbi the owl.
The Wandjina in the centre is called Namarali (Worrora) Wandjina. He is the only one with spears sticking out of his head. Namarali stole a wife of one of the other Wandjinas and they both ran away to the coast to a place called Langi. The husband of the woman rounded up the other Wandjinas and they went after the two and caught up with them at Langi adn they surrounded him (Namarali). They all threw spears at him and as he was dying he told them to bury him in the sand but bury him on the nearby hill. To this day you can see the rock formations of the Wandjinas at the battle at Langi, and Namarali is the biggest rock of them all.
The third Wandjina on the right is Rimmijmurra (Wunambul). This Wandjina likes stealing so thats how he got his name.
From left to right we have Wannalirri (Ngarinyin) Wandjina. He was the Wandjina that brought all the Wandjinas together to send the big flood to drown people, because of what the children had done to the Dumbi the owl.
The Wandjina in the centre is called Namarali (Worrora) Wandjina. He is the only one with spears sticking out of his head. Namarali stole a wife of one of the other Wandjinas and they both ran away to the coast to a place called Langi. The husband of the woman rounded up the other Wandjinas and they went after the two and caught up with them at Langi adn they surrounded him (Namarali). They all threw spears at him and as he was dying he told them to bury him in the sand but bury him on the nearby hill. To this day you can see the rock formations of the Wandjinas at the battle at Langi, and Namarali is the biggest rock of them all.
The third Wandjina on the right is Rimmijmurra (Wunambul). This Wandjina likes stealing so thats how he got his name.