Lajamanu
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“Speak
to the land and the land will speak back”
Nearly 1,000 mostly Warlpiri people live in Lajamanu
which is situated at the top of the TanamiDesert around 557 kms from
Katherine and 890 kms from Darwin.
Culture and tradition is strong in Lajamanu where the English language is
secondary.
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Milpirri Dancers
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 Image: Milpirri Dancers
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“That’s
our culture, Warlpiri culture.” Teddy Morrison Jupurrula. Warlpiri
Elder
The
residents of Lajamanu and the Warlpiri Elders have a 20 year history of working
with Tracks Dance to create two-way cultural sharing through the ‘Milpirri’ performance. Tracks
has a particularly strong relationship with the remote Warlpiri community of Lajamanu, Together they have developed works
that integrate Warlpiri culture and performers into mainstream theatre works. The Warlpiri Elders and residents of Lajamanu
presented the 2007
Milpirri Event, celebrating the Warlpiri Kurdiji Ceremony; a young
man’s initiation ceremony, which tells the story of Mothers and Sons.
“It
made me very proud. Proud to dance for my group, proud to be Warlpiri,
proud to see it from one end to the other”. Maxwell Tasman Japanangka. Dancer
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