BENOK

(PLAINS TURKEY)

It is well known that Aboriginal art often depicts images of sacred totems or dreamings of Aboriginal culture. However, the world of the non-sacred also provides a rich source of subject matter for Aboriginal art.

Much of the rock art of western Arnhem Land for example features secular topics such as common food animals and plants, depicted because of their economic importance but also merely because of their existence in the environment.

Ivan Namirrkki has painted a plains turkey or kori bustard (ardeotis kori), which they call ‘benok’ in Kuninjku. He painted this bird with several eggs of which one is cracked open. The dry season reaching from May till October is hunting season for these and many other birds. They are much liked as food source by Aboriginal people and are very common on Namirrki’s country.