Jitaka (Swordfish) - Karina (Penny) Coombes

This story was told to me by my grandfather. When the tide went out their was a group of family wanting to cross the creek. The water was knee deep. While crossing one of the Tiwi men got their leg cut off by a swordfish. So they found his leg and helped him to shore and helped stop the bleeding. Then they sent messages to the clan groups that they were going to have a ceremony and burial for the mans leg. So they conducted that ceremonial burying of the leg and the man who lost his leg also danced with his one leg. This painting is about this story. The designs represent different body painting. There was a message stick sent out to the Tiwi to let them know that the burial was happening and the triangles represent the swordfish.