A special place from the heart Tableland from our old people that are left behind. There are still some here to acknowledge, teach, respect what they’ve learnt growing up. “Country” nowadays, there’s no transport to go there to show our younger ones who are the next generations. To generate to Country from our blood “The Yindjibarndi”. There’s plenty to see, show it, share it. This is our Old People’s Home.
Name: Donna Willis
Language: Yindjibarndi
Biography:
Donna Willis was born in the old Roebourne Hospital in 1975. She is the daughter of award-winning artist, Allery Sandy, and Tommy Willis. She has four children, Aiden, Hughes, Chemea Smith, Koeen Smith and Shaykarni (Willis) Smith. As a child, Donna started kindergarten in the old building that now houses Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation. A fast learner, she then attended Roebourne Primary School before moving to Wickham High School where she completed Year 9. Subsequently she took some courses in office skills through Roebourne TAFE and plans to study some further courses in the future. Donna loves getting out into her country. She says, "From primary school we used to go to camp out at Millstream with some of the old Yindjibarndi people from there to learn culture. Many of those old people were born there." Donna began her art career early in 2006. She initially started drawing, which she loves, then took up painting. Donna's approach to painting is immediate. She starts putting down a design, translating what is in her head straight on to the canvas, choosing her colours and being led by what she sees in her mind. Each painting has its own story. She likes painting both the coastal country of the Pilbara and further inland in her father's and grandfather's country, showing the fresh waterholes where they fish, and the abundant flora - Sturt's Desert Pea, Mulla Mulla and other flowers. She says, "Going to Mt Florence and Millstream is like going home. Mt Florence is my grandfather’s country. He passed away when he was 86, in 1995." Donna won the Pilbara Landscape Prize in the 2009 Cossack Art Awards for her painting 'When the Rivers Run.'
The Two Lore Breakers In Yindjibarndi Country there were two men that have been initiated through the Lore. They walked around the Country til they found a pretty bird – the 28 parrot – killed Read more…
Tharnandi Marni The ocean has its own way of showing its beauty. The sea, you don’t know where it’s coming and going from. It makes you wonder. It blows my mind away that the ocean Read more…
Pilbara Wildflowers at Dusk In the last light of the day, the wildflowers and Country take on new colours. In the earth you can see glimmers of darker copper colours and deep burgundy as the Read more…