Tjukurpa - the foundation of Anangu life
The term, Tjukurpa/Wapar, includes many complex but complementary concepts.
Tjukurpa/Wapar encompasses:
- Anangu religion, law and moral systems;
- the past, the present and the future.
- the creation period when ancestral beings, Tjukaritja/Waparitja, created the world as it is now;
- the relationship between people, plants, animals and the physical features of the land; and
- the knowledge of how these relationships came to be, what they mean and how they must be maintained in daily life and in ceremony.
There is not a single word in English that conveys the complex meaning of Tjukurpa. This is why at Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park we use the Pitjantjatjara word. The Traditional Owners who speak Yankunytjatjara use the word Wapar to mean the same complex body of Law and beliefs.
Tjukurpa/Wapar versus Dreamtime/Dreaming
'Dreamtime' or 'Dreaming' is often used to describe the way Anangu see their origins. This translation, originally made by non-Aboriginal people, suggests the beliefs are unreal and changeable. Tjukurpa/Wapar is no dream, and there is no such word as 'Dreamtime' in Anangu language.
Anangu are pleased that this interaction between themselves and the land has now been recognized as being of World Heritage value.