Tiger’s Creation Story

This story is about Wanampi – water snakes. It tells the Creation story related to the country around Piltati and is about two women/wives who are sisters, and two men/husbands who are brothers. The two women went out hunting everyday. The two husbands are sitting back at camp waiting for their wives to bring back food. The women never bring any food back to share, instead they eat in the bush. Weeks and weeks past and the men were getting hungry and suspicious. They turned into water snakes and traveled underground and came out next to the women in the bush. They then turned the women into water snakes so they couldn’t escape. In this painting the wanampi (red snake) is travelling between two rock holes. The circles around the outer edge represent rock holes. Rock holes are an important source of water during the hot dry periods.