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Bush Tucker

Depicted in this work are traditional types of bush tucker, their habitats, and their related hunting and gathering methods. During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) period, Martu would traverse very large distances annually in small family groups, moving seasonally from water source to water source, and hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. Whilst desert life has moved away from mobile hunter-gatherer subsistence throughout the course of the twentieth century, bush tucker continues to be a significant component of the modern Martu diet. Hunting and gathering bush tucker remains equally valuable as an important cultural practice that is passed on intergenerationally. Though hunting and gathering implements have been modernised, methods of harvesting, tracking and the use of fire burning to drive animals from their retreats are still commonly practiced today. 

Typically, animals hunted for their kuwiyi (meat) include kirti-kirti (euro kangaroo) and marlu (plains kangaroo), parnajarrpa (sand goanna), kipara (Australian bustard, bush turkey) and karlaya (emu). Lunki (witchetty grub) and wuukurta (honey ants) are dug from tree and bush trunks, or from underground nests. Popular mayi (plant food) includes minyarra (bush onion), collected from small, grass like plants; root vegetables dug from underground such as kulyu and mata (types of bush potato); and seeds such as kalaru (samphire, salt bush), yuwinyji, and marnkalpa (spinifex species). Jawirli (quondong), wamurla (bush tomatoes), jinyjiwirrily (wild gooseberry), ngaputa (melon), and karlkula (bush banana) are some of the most popular bush fruits. These are often collected in the wantajarra (cool season) and tuulpara (spring) months, along with juri (sweet) botanical gums and wama (nectar), obtained from various plant species. 

Traditional tools used for hunting and gathering bush tucker were carved from wanari (mulga), mulunturu (desert oak), yurungkura (river red gum) and mijarrpa (bloodwoods), and included kurlata (spears), jurna (hitting stick), karli (boomerangs), wana (digging-sticks), piti (timber bowls used for carrying food and water), and jiwa (grinding stones for grinding seeds into flour). While carved objects retain enormous social and ceremonial importance in Martu life, they are no longer used for hunting and gathering.

Categories: Shire of East Pilbara (Martumili Artists)

Name: Robina Clause

Language: Manyjilyjarra

Biography:

 "I was born in Newman, 1990. I'm the fourth one of seven- three brothers and three sisters. Mum is from Jigalong, and Dad from Wiluna. Mum's Manyjilyjarra, and I'm Manyjilyjarra, same like mum. I was growing up mainly in Newman, and [Aboriginal communities] Punmu, Jigalong, and 33 (Kunawarritji, Canning Stock Route Well 33).  

I started painting, I been learning by sitting down and watching [my siblings and fellow Martumili Artists Corban Clause Williams and Tamisha Williams] Bamba and Tammy, watching and learning. I was thinking I want to become like an artist like my sisters and brother. Every morning I go to the art centre and paint. I paint my grandfather's land, Kaalpa (Kalypa, Canning Stock Route Well 23). I learned about Kaalpa by watching Bamba. (Here Corban explains "The old people were telling me 'Kaalpa's your grandfather's Country, you gotta paint it. They told me about it. We went out there with KJ (Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa) when we were looking for the [Greater] Bilby. They took me and Tamisha, they showed us our grandfather's Country, Well 23. I went out there, had a good look, walked around, and went back to Wantili (Warntili, Canning Stock Route Well 25), Parnngurr, and I started painting it. Now it's my mind, now I know what Kaalpa looks like. I went back to Martumili and I started telling Robina about the waterholes, jurnu (soak). One walypala (whitefella) well, and a real kalyu (water) there, jurnu. The Seven Sisters landed there, Jukurrpa (Dreaming). That man Yurla yapu (hill, stone, rock) there." [Yurla, who chased the Seven Sisters during the Jukurrpa remains at Kaalpa in the form of a rock])

Painting keeps me busy, keeps my mind fresh. I've gotta do more paintings so I can travel around with Martumili, do an exhibition- see my paintings on the wall."

- Robina Clause with brother Corban Clause Williams

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