Luku dhinthun: Always following the path of our Ancestors

Djalkiri is a Yolngu word that means to look to the foundations of the past to teach us how to move forward. It’s sometimes referred to as a footprint, in the sense that Yolngu today follow in the footprints of their ancestors. Like many Yolngu words, it also connects to bigger concepts and stories that form the foundations of culture.

“Djalkiri is our past, our connection, our identity. Djalkiri is our knowledge. We know our djalkiri, every artist does. We respect the boundaries and areas of our Country – the songlines teach the relationships between Yolngu, between clans, kinship, and places.” — Leonard Bowayngu

In Ḻuku dhiṉ’thun artists from diverse clan groups are presented together to tell the story of Milingimbi art. The works belong to different clans and places, telling stories of ancestors, spirits, species, songlines and environmental phenomena.

“All the artworks here are different tribes but they’re also connected. That is important. When you look at the djalkiri it connects us through clans, through generations. Each artwork is owned, the pattern belongs to one clan. We only use the patterns that the Old people gave us. We have to do it the right way. All the songlines are the same, but there are borders that can’t be crossed.”

Illustrative of this is Joe Dhamanydji’s work ‘Yothu Yindi – Dhukurruru, Warraga’ ga Burarr Gapu (Mother and Child -Travelling Rock, Cycad Nuts and Sacred Springs)’ which shows the meeting of his ngäṉdi-pulu and märi-pulu (his mother and mothers-mother clan groups), who sit in mother-child relationship. The separate miny’tji (clan designs) shown in distinct panels depict clear boundaries between moieties, clans and people, while also emphasising mutual connection and interdependence through kinship and shared waters.