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Tarl

“I was born a pujiman (traditional, desert dweller) in Tarl Country. I was born at the waterhole called Jarntinti. I know all about it, about that water over there, about my home, our grandparent’s Country. We travelled all around as pujiman, camping and then setting off again by foot. We didn’t get tired. We just kept on going. Sometimes it would rain, so we would build a shelter, just like a tent. Inside we would light a fire. Our pujiman lifestyle was very healthy and we didn’t get sick very often. Even when it was cold we continued to walk around in good health.  

I’m working on my painting of those waterholes, I was drinking from them long ago as a pujiman. My family’s water, my grandmother’s, my grandfathers and my ancestors. I was taught from them. Our knowledge is ancient and has been passed on by our grandparents. Young people need to keep looking after it.” 

– Nyanjilpayi (Ngarnjapayi) Nancy Chapman as translated by Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa

  

Tarl is a spring located at the southern end of the large salt lake, Nyayartakujarra (Lake Dora), and at the south of Punmu Aboriginal community. Surrounding Tarl are numerous fresh water soaks and the red tali (sandhills) typical of the area. This site lies within Nyanjilpayi’s ngurra (home Country, camp) through her grandmother, and was part of the area which she knew intimately and travelled extensively with her family in her youth.

During the pujiman 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. At this time knowledge of water sources was critical for survival, and today Martu Country is still defined in terms of the location and type of water. Each of the hundreds of claypans, rockholes, waterholes, soaks and springs found in the Martu desert homelands is known by name, location, quality and seasonal availability through real life experience and the recounting of Jukurrpa (Dreaming) narratives.

Tarl features in the Jila Kujarra (Two Snakes) Jukurrpa narrative, one of the key Martu foundation narratives. Though the story belongs to Warnman people, it is shared across the Western Desert with several other language groups. The narrative centres on the travels of two snakes as they are pursued by the Niminjarra, spiritual ancestors of the Warnman people.