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Ngurra kujungka

“It’s a painting about family, it’s the Martu way. Families been travelling, they come together, ngurra kujunka (coming together in one home place). They got their wuungku (windbreak) there, waru (fire), and it’s for hunting, gathering bush tucker. The footprints – they have to stamp it [the knowledge] and leave their stories to the young ones, pass it generation to generation. Ngurra kujungka is Martu determination, from Manyjiljarra, right up to Pintupi, Ngaatjatjarra, Warnman. This is the showing all the jurnu (soaks) and rockholes, every kapi (waterhole) – that’s the centre of ngurra (home/country/camp). Land need Martu to be strong, and Martu need the spirit of the land, it’s a strong one” 

– Christopher James

 

The Western Desert term ‘ngurra’ is hugely versatile in application. Broadly denoting birthplace and belonging, ngurra can refer to a body of water, a camp site, a large area of Country, or even a modern house. People identify with their ngurra in terms of specific rights and responsibilities, and the possession of intimate knowledge of the physical and cultural properties of one’s Country. This knowledge is traditionally passed intergenerationally through family connections. Country for Martu is full of memory; not just the memory of their own movement through it, but also of their family. As summarised by Ngalangka Nola Taylor, “painting the ngurra, they do it to remember their connections.” 

Painting ngurra, and in so doing sharing the Jukurrpa (Dreaming) stories and physical characteristics of that place, has today become an important means of cultural maintenance. Physical maintenance of one’s ngurra, like cultural maintenance, ensures a site’s wellbeing, and is a responsibility of the people belonging to that area.  

Categories: Shire of East Pilbara (Martumili Artists)

Name: Christopher James

Language: Kartujarra, Manyjilyjarra, Putijarra

Community: Kunawarritji

Biography:

"I was born in Strelley (Station), my dad [JJ dec.] was a Pintupi and Manyjiljarra/Kartujarra man. He went to Kiwirrkurra, Balgo, Kintore, Ayers Rock (Uluru), right around and then came back (to Jigalong). I have a knowledge for my country - all around Kunawarritji. My families are also the Walpiri. It's like a family tree all over the desert, from Western Australia, South Australia, NT, we all one mob, ngurra kujungka (together for country). The old people told me to look after the ngurra (country) and stories, I have to pass it on.

I just started get into painting, my grandfather was a rain man and they passed onto me. I taught myself to paint. I want to share the ngurra and kapi (waterholes) and stories through my painting"

- Christopher James

Christopher James' (CJ) has country connections right around Kunawarritji, up and down the Canning Stock Route, up to the Percival Lakes area and across the Great Sandy and Gibson Deserts, through his paternal and maternal grandparents. He is strongly connected to Kunawarritji community, and his father (Jeffrey James [dec.]) was part of strong group of Martu who pushed for the return to country during the Homelands Movement of the 1980s, where Martu wished to return from Jigalong mission, stations and towns to live back on their country.

Kunawarritji is an important site in the Great Sandy Desert where multiple stories and histories intersect. Originally a spring water and major Martu pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) camping site, at the turn of the 20th century Kunawarritji was converted into a well along the Canning Stock Route. Each year throughout the 1930-50s, the well became a site of contact between the drovers, their cattle, and desert families. 

Long before colonial history entered this Country, however, other stories dominated the site. Primarily, Kunawarritji features in the Minyipuru (Jakulyukulyu, Seven Sisters) Jukurrpa (Dreaming). Minyipuru is a central Jukurrpa narrative for Martu, Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people that is associated with the seasonal Pleiades star constellation. Beginning in Roebourne on the west coast of Western Australia, the story morphs in its movement eastward across the land, following a group of women as they walk, dance, and even fly from waterhole to waterhole. As they travelled the women left markers in the landscape and create landforms that remain to this day. During the entirety of their journey the women are pursued by a lustful old man, Yurla, although interactions with other animals, groups of men, and spirit beings are also chronicled in the narrative.

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