Painting The Story
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Story Painting
Deans’ artwork has the stories written on the back of the canvas; this helps with sharing our culture through art
Dean Rotumah
Dean Rotumah is an original first nation artist from Minjungbal Tribe.
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Paintings
Dean does do commission work. If your interested in a painting made
Prices starting from $1250
for more details and enquiries please Email: satnodidgeridoo@gmail.com
This is a creation story The Goanna, Nimbim and The Serpent
A long time ago a man called Nimbin had a pet bird and goanna. One day the rainbow serpent came and tried to steal Nimbin’s bird, so Nimbin asked Goanna to fight the rainbow serpent.
They come together and had a fight and goanna was bitten and poisoned. Nimbin told him to eat the medicine from the trees and the poison was pushed from his body and created the Nimbin Rock Pools.
The goanna recovered and went after the rainbow serpent again. They met at Grafton. They fought again, and this time Goanna was torn open so he went to the east and bled on the ground, this created Red Rock. Goanna soon recovered and went after the rainbow serpent again. The snake turned into an island to hid. Goanna waited for him to come back but he waited that long that he turned to stone and become Goanna Headland at Evans Heads.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
They come together and had a fight and goanna was bitten and poisoned. Nimbin told him to eat the medicine from the trees and the poison was pushed from his body and created the Nimbin Rock Pools.
The goanna recovered and went after the rainbow serpent again. They met at Grafton. They fought again, and this time Goanna was torn open so he went to the east and bled on the ground, this created Red Rock. Goanna soon recovered and went after the rainbow serpent again. The snake turned into an island to hid. Goanna waited for him to come back but he waited that long that he turned to stone and become Goanna Headland at Evans Heads.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
Barramundi
The name barramundi means “Big Scale”
These fish are very important to our people as they are abundant in the northern part of Australia
When they are born, they are all male and change sex accordingly to the ratio of male to female. Depending on how hot or cold the summer is will depend what sex they become. The colder the summer the more females there are.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
These fish are very important to our people as they are abundant in the northern part of Australia
When they are born, they are all male and change sex accordingly to the ratio of male to female. Depending on how hot or cold the summer is will depend what sex they become. The colder the summer the more females there are.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
Story of Creation. Wollumbin (mount warning)
This painting depicts the story of creation.
All the lines coming out of the centre are from Wollumbin (mount warning) which is our place of initiation. All the different patterns throughout the painting represents male and female energy as well as neutral energies. All the coloured areas represent the minerals that are in the earth which had washed up on the beaches and now the sands are white as all these minerals have been mined and taken away.
This painting is to give you an idea of what used to be here in the Northern Rivers
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
All the lines coming out of the centre are from Wollumbin (mount warning) which is our place of initiation. All the different patterns throughout the painting represents male and female energy as well as neutral energies. All the coloured areas represent the minerals that are in the earth which had washed up on the beaches and now the sands are white as all these minerals have been mined and taken away.
This painting is to give you an idea of what used to be here in the Northern Rivers
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
This is the story of the mountain Wollumbin and the energies of the land.
All the white sections represent the female energy all the red sections represent the male energy and all the coloured sections are where both men and women can be together. The flowers in the centre of the painting represents all the bloodlines and where our people come from.
As we are a matriarchal society all the bloodlines come from our grandmothers.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
As we are a matriarchal society all the bloodlines come from our grandmothers.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
Goanna Circle.
A long time ago I was sitting on a river bank near Lismore when about 25 goannas appeared. They started to move in a circle. As they moved around, they would fight.
I found out later on that this was something that happens when an old goanna dies and all the other goannas come together to compete for his territory. The last one is the new owner of the real estate.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
I found out later on that this was something that happens when an old goanna dies and all the other goannas come together to compete for his territory. The last one is the new owner of the real estate.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
This painting depicts the concept of water (platypus)
Platypus in the rivers used to indicate to our people the health of the rivers. If platypus are not found in running streams then the water is no good to drink. For platypus to survive our rivers must be pristine. So, this painting is to teach the importance of protecting the rivers
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
Brolga
When these birds mate, they mate for life.
When one of the pair dies, the other will die within two weeks.
So, these birds have a unique place in tribal culture and the dances have been mimicked by our people for thousands of years
Minjungbal tribe 2021
When one of the pair dies, the other will die within two weeks.
So, these birds have a unique place in tribal culture and the dances have been mimicked by our people for thousands of years
Minjungbal tribe 2021
This is the story of the Stonehenge of mullumbinby.
This site has only recently been rediscovered and tells of a story of how our people came to this planet.
It says we came through a portal and were brought by being to inhabit the earth, and they gave us the lore on how to live on our planet without destroying the environment.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
It says we came through a portal and were brought by being to inhabit the earth, and they gave us the lore on how to live on our planet without destroying the environment.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
This is a creation story The Goanna, Nimbim and The Serpent
A long time ago a man called Nimbin had a pet bird and goanna. One day the rainbow serpent came and tried to steal Nimbin’s bird, so Nimbin asked Goanna to fight the rainbow serpent.
They come together and had a fight and goanna was bitten and poisoned. Nimbin told him to eat the medicine from the trees and the poison was pushed from his body and created the Nimbin Rock Pools.
The goanna recovered and went after the rainbow serpent again. They met at Grafton. They fought again, and this time Goanna was torn open so he went to the east and bled on the ground, this created Red Rock. Goanna soon recovered and went after the rainbow serpent again. The snake turned into an island to hid. Goanna waited for him to come back but he waited that long that he turned to stone and become Goanna Headland at Evans Heads.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
They come together and had a fight and goanna was bitten and poisoned. Nimbin told him to eat the medicine from the trees and the poison was pushed from his body and created the Nimbin Rock Pools.
The goanna recovered and went after the rainbow serpent again. They met at Grafton. They fought again, and this time Goanna was torn open so he went to the east and bled on the ground, this created Red Rock. Goanna soon recovered and went after the rainbow serpent again. The snake turned into an island to hid. Goanna waited for him to come back but he waited that long that he turned to stone and become Goanna Headland at Evans Heads.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
This is an aerial view of the caldera of Wollumbin (Mount Warning).
This painting depicts the mountain in the center and all the lines running off the sides is the mountain ranges. The red parts represent the red earth of the land and this is how we see the land from a birds eye view.
The mountain Wollumbin is very sacred to our people as it is a very spiritual place. Our men used this as a place of initiation.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
The mountain Wollumbin is very sacred to our people as it is a very spiritual place. Our men used this as a place of initiation.
Minjungbal Tribe 2021
Brolgas
When these birds mate, they mate for life.
When one of the pair dies, the other will die within two weeks.
So, these birds have a unique place in tribal culture and the dances have been mimicked by our people for thousands of years
Minjungbal tribe 2021
When one of the pair dies, the other will die within two weeks.
So, these birds have a unique place in tribal culture and the dances have been mimicked by our people for thousands of years
Minjungbal tribe 2021