On a hot day in eastern Arnhem Land, three women collect pandanus leaves and djundom roots – and offer a priceless masterclass into a rich cultural tradition
n the early morning, near a billabong dotted with pink lilies, sisters Evonne Munuyngu and Mary Dhalapany are collecting pandanus leaves for weaving. It’s a very quiet place called Mungbirri, about 20 minutes’ drive north of the tiny town of Ramingining in eastern Arnhem Land.
that grace the entry to the National Gallery in Canberra. “It’s no ordinary place,” the master bark painter David Malangi once said. “These amazing weavers who can go out and get the natural resources from their lands, we should be celebrating, because their work is so uniquely Australian.”Stripping pandanus to make fibre is just phase one of a long and labour-intensive process. Next, we go to find the right plants to make the dyes.
Evonne puts the split pandanus into a pot to boil on the fire with djundom to start the dyeing process
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cruise ship damaged after Alaska iceberg crash'I looked at the front of the ship and all I see is this iceberg just turning over and coming down.' 9News
Read more »
Boris Johnson in the mire again after digging in to save an allyInsiders boggle at ‘tone deaf’ response from PM and his team over Chris Pincher’s position as scandals keep coming
Read more »
Exceptional 18yo set to shine for Suns after dream comes true in AFLW draftFormer coaches say Alana Gee was always destined for great things.
Read more »
Amazon bows to UAE pressure to restrict LGBTQ+ search resultsTech giant imposes restrictions on goods such as books and rainbow-coloured flags after threats of penalties
Read more »
Bitcoin’s big bet: Is crypto trading basically gambling?'Where do you rule the line?” The push to regulate the wild world of cryptocurrencies is raising all sorts of curly questions for policymakers. | OPINION by clancyyeates
Read more »
‘I know what I bring’: Kyrgios v Tsitsipas is the talk of LondonExcitement is growing at the All England Club ahead of a blockbuster Saturday clash for Nick Kyrgios against the popular Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Read more »