Perentie Tjukuṟpa – Women’s Story

Lisa Khan

Size: 114 x 90cm

The Story: The Perentie Lizard Tjukurpa (Dreaming) is a songline that stretches through western and central Australia. Lisa’s painting depicts the part of the story as it passes near Wallatina area (northern South Australia) and tricks the women.

Wati Nyintaka (the Perentie Lizard Man) was traveling across Country then stopped to rest at a camp. The women at the camp were using a grinding stone, a traditional tool used to grind seeds and roots, to make food. The women fed him the most delicious food from this grinding stone, so Wati Nyintaka decided to steal it.

Wati Nyintaka kept running away and hiding while people chased him to get the grinding stone back. He took off and travelled west. As he travelled through that country, Wati Nyintaka (Perentie Lizard Man) created the landscape in the region – this is a creation story. Without this story, there would be no hills, no land, no water.