Anangu moral belief and law
'Tjukurpa Katutja Ngarantja' | Tjukurpa above everything else
Tjukurpa provides Anangu with a system of beliefs and morality with which we can judge right and wrong. It establishes the rules we use to govern society and manage the land.
Tjukurpa guides daily life through a series of symbolic stories and metaphors. The stories represent complex explanations of the origins and structure of the universe, and the place and behaviour of all elements within it. Understanding of such stories increases throughout an individual's life. For a child, a story may be a moral tale about greed, while for an adult it may provide complex explanations of ethical behaviour.
Tjukurpa dictates correct procedures for dealing with problems, and penalties for breaking the Law. Since the coming of non-Aboriginal people we have had to modify some of the penalties under traditional Law. We have also adapted non-Aboriginal law to help enforce Tjukurpa. For example our sacred sites are protected under Commonwealth and Northern Territory legislation and our hunting and foraging rights are protected under the legislation and lease agreement with Parks Australia. The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Plan of Management protects Tjukurpa by using it as a guide for making management and policy decisions.
