220982303089

Published by CompNet Systems on



Bush Medicine Plants

“Bush medicine plants are used for healing on the body and for drinking. We make this by grinding the plants with a rock, we use the juice and the fibre of the plant.

We collect bush medicine plants when we are out hunting. Different kinds of plants grow during different seasons.

There are lots of different medicines, we know what their stories are, we learnt them from our parents and we teach these stories to our children.”

Bush medicine knowledge is still strong in Ampilatwatja, it continues to be passed down to the younger generations and is widely used.


When the women go hunting they often gather bush medicine. The plants depicted here are found in the country around Ampilatwatja, they are used for soothing skin infections and to make a drink to help with colds and coughs.


Painting bush medicine stories is important because it helps to maintain a strong knowledge and culture for the community.

Name: Lucy Pula Luck


Language: Alyawarre


Community: Ampilatwatja


Biography:

I was born in Alice Springs and grew up and went to school at an out station called Irrultja.  I now live in Ampilatwatja with my  two children, husband and my family.  My mother painted and that is where I learnt to paint.  She painted bush medicine, and now I also paint bush medicine.  Bush medicine is important for treating illness such as a bad cold.  We pass this knowledge onto our children. 


© the artist / art centre