The signs of the Spirit Beings may be of spiritual essence, physical remains such as petrosomatoglyphs of body impressions or footprints, amongst natural and elemental simulacrae.

Anangu also has the meaning "human body" and may be used to refer specifically to the physical body, or to a dead body.

 Before the arrival of non-Aboriginal people in Central Australia the core meaning of anangu was probably "human being, person". Now however it is used to mean "Aboriginal human being, person" and is rarely applied to non-Aboriginal people. As a Western Desert Language word for "(Aboriginal) person", and given that other Aboriginal languages have their own words for "(Aboriginal) person" the word anangu has come to be very closely associated with the WDL speaking people who use it to the extent that it is now commonly used to refer to them, mainly by non-Aboriginal people but also by the speakers themselves. Used in this way it seems never to be used to refer to any traditional grouping but rather to any collection of WDL people. It may also be used to refer to other Aboriginal people, especially where the speaker is uncertain who they are.
The correct term for "black person" in Pitjantjatjara is aṉangu maru, literally "dark/black person".

Images by Mezza - Desert Oaks