Lindon Wallet – Mina Mina

Fabric: Cotton feature base cloth and cotton lining.

Features:

• Central insert for 2 visual ID cards
• 6 slip-in card pockets
• Two full length pocket/compartments for notes
• Zippered full length internal pocket
• Limited edition – only 6 made
• Fabric hand printed in Australia
• Can be gently hand washed

This wallet was made by Kravan House, our Cambodian social enterprise partner that has been employing and training disabled artisans since 2003.

• Fabric Designer: Mekeisha Napanangka Martin
• Born:
• Language: Warlpiri
• Design story: Mina Mina
• Art centre: Warlukurlangu Artists, Yuendumu, Northern Territory

Limited Edition: All our products are made in small batches. Items made from hand printed fabrics are produced in very limited quantities. We rarely take more than 2 metres of fabric at a time and our orders are for a number of different products.

NB: Please note that each purse is unique and the placement of the fabric design is different and wonderful on each item.

Design Story: “This ‘Jukurrpa’ (Dreaming) comes from Mina Mina, a very important women’s Dreaming site far to the west of Yuendumu near Lake Mackay and the WA border. The ‘kirda’ (owners) of this Dreaming are Napangardi/Napanangka women and Japangardi/Japanangka men – the area is sacred to Napangardi and Napanangka women. There are a number of ‘mulju’ (water soakages) and a ‘maluri’ (clay pan) at Mina Mina.

In the Dreamtime, ancestral women danced at Mina Mina and ‘karlangu’ (digging sticks) rose up out of the ground. The women collected the digging sticks and then travelled on to the east, dancing, digging for bush tucker, collecting ‘ngalyipi’ (snake vine [Tinospora smilacina]), and creating many places as they went. ‘Ngalyipi’ is a rope-like creeper that grows up the trunks and limbs of trees, including ‘kurrkara’ (desert oak [Allocasuarina decaisneana]). It is used as a ceremonial wrap and as a strap to carry ‘parraja’ (coolamons) and ‘ngami’ (water carriers). ‘Ngalyipi’ is also used to tie around the forehead to cure headaches, and to bind cuts.

The women stopped at Karntakurlangu, Janyinki, Parapurnta, Kimayi, and Munyuparntiparnti, sites spanning from the west to the east of Yuendumu. When they stopped, the women dug for bush foods like ‘jintiparnta’ (desert truffle [Elderia arenivaga]). The Dreaming track eventually took them far beyond Warlpiri country. The track passed through Coniston in Anmatyerre country to the east, and then went on to Alcoota and Aileron far to the northeast of Yuendumu and eventually on into Queensland.