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Untitled
This painting represents an area in Bugai’s ngurra (home country), where she lived and travelled extensively throughout the pujiman (nomadic bush) era with her family. She travelled from what is now Balfour Downs Station, where she was born, all around the Parnngurr area and up and down the Canning Stock Route as far as Kunawarritji. Kunawarritji is also known as well 33 and is now her home community. Bugai has extensive knowledge of this large tract of land, and loves to paint and tell the stories for her country.
Depicted are physical elements of Martu Country, such as the dominant tali (sandhills), warta (trees, vegetation), and water sources. Rock holes, waterholes, soaks and springs were all extremely important sites for Martu people during the pujiman period, with many important jukurrpa (dreamtime stories) chronicling the creation of these landmarks. In the past the Martu lived nomadically, moving from water source to water source, and hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. They would traverse very large distances annually, visiting specific areas in the dry and wet season depending on the availability of water. As they travelled and hunted they would also burn areas of country creating a larger diversity of plant and animal life.