Tjukurrpa

Tjukurrpa is a central concept in many Aboriginal Australian cultures of the Central and Western Desert regions. Often equated with the term Dreaming or Dreamtime in English, Tjukurrpa denotes the ancestral period of creation as well as the enduring laws, knowledge, and relationships that govern the land, people, and cosmos. It is not a single myth but a complex, living system of stories, clan relationships, rights and responsibilities, ceremonies, and knowledge about country.

Transmission occurs through kinship, initiation, song, ceremony, and art. People inherit Tjukurrpa through belonging to a particular language group and dreaming associated with a country. Sacred sites, natural features, and totems are considered living embodiments of Tjukurrpa, and particular actions, songs, or dances may be restricted to people with the proper right to perform them.

Tjukurrpa is expressed in language, song, dance, and visual art, as well as in the rules that govern daily life and land management. The landscapes themselves are often described as living embodiments of Tjukurrpa, with stories connected to rivers, hills, and rock formations.

Time-wise, the Dreaming is both the distant past when ancestors shaped the world and a present, ongoing force that informs present-day conduct, law, and ceremony. Ethics, social relations, and responsibilities—such as caring for country, kin, and the environment—are seen as derived from and protected by Tjukurrpa.

Be aware that the specific beings, stories, and practices vary between language groups. Prominent themes include the creation of landforms, the origins of species, and the establishment of societal laws.