RSA904 Canvas Cushion Cover Digital

Kuntjanu is a sacred site located near Pipalyatjara, in the far north-west corner of the APY Lands. It is here that the Wanampi—the great Rainbow Serpent—resides, sleeping beneath the earth in a tjukula (rockhole).

This painting illustrates a key part of the Wanampi Tjukurpa (Rainbow Serpent Dreaming), a powerful ancestral story where snakes represent men. Rama tells of the old rainbow serpent man, Wanampi tjilpi, whose name is Kuntjanu. His wife is ititjara (pregnant) and hiding beneath the water.

Many beings are present in this place—Kuniya (a large python with a black back and yellow belly), Mingkiri (mouse people), and Liru (snake people). The Liru wati (snake men) were angry and speared Wanampi. He rose from the waterhole and was struck by a left-handed man.

Despite this, Wanampi’s son was born at Kuntjanu and still sleeps there, under the sacred rockhole. This Dreaming reflects not only the power of the land but also the deep ancestral connections that continue to guide and protect the people of this region.