Janie Karpa 424-25

In this painting Janie depicts the Saltlake in Karrinyarra (Mt. Wedge) as a significant place for the traditional ceremony in honour of the bush onion (Janmarda). Bush onions are a rich source of food abundant in the area. They can be eaten either raw or cooked after removing the hard casing. This ceremony involves the women dancing, painting their breasts, chests and forearms in ceremonial body designs. They also decorate their bodies with feathers and dance with ceremonial objects such as nulla nullas (ceremonial dancing baton).