Headdress

Standing tall like sentinels, these small headpieces are suitably placed in front of images of the Banyjima dancers in ceremony. In the background, soft rhythmic chanting of traditional songs can be heard as the old people sing and recount stories of country in a nearby installation. Made by stripping the bark and shaving the inner soft branches of shrubs, these head and arm ornaments are worn by dancers young and old of many groups in the northwest of Australia. The specific cultural identity of dancers is distinguished by the differing motifs painted on the chests of men. On the walls of the centre the designs of the Banyjima, Kurrama, and Innawonga welcome people to the centre.