The sacred Aboriginal colours, said to be given to indigenous people during Tjukurpa*, are Black, Red, Yellow and White.
(*In the past, the term 'Dreaming' or 'Dreamtime' was used in the West to describe Tjukurpa, but these are considered offensive by some Aboriginal groups as it implies their creation stories are dreamt up.)
Black represents the earth, marking the campfires of the dreamtime ancestors.
Red represents fire, energy and blood - 'Djang', a power found in places of importance to the Aborigines.
Yellow represents water, and the markings on the back of the great snake ancestor (see our last blog on the Rainbow Serpent Myths).
White represents the sky and stars, which are filled with the Aborigines ancestors who returned to the sky after creating the earth.
This stunning painting from Charmaine Pwerle combines all these special colours in an energetic abstract of her dreaming.
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