Maureen Donnegan Australian, Pitjantjatjara, b. 1978

Maureen Donnegan was born in Kalgoorlie in 1978. Her mother Kanta Donnegan, travelled to Kalgoorlie from Tjuntjuntjara to give birth in the hospital. So, although Maureen was born in Kalgoorlie her traditional Lands are actually some 900 kms to the north east in the GreatVictoria Desert."My name is Maureen Donnegan and I was born in Kalgoorlie. My mother is Kanta Donnegan who has been a Spinifex Artist for a longtime. Shortly after I was born, we went to CundaleeMission,and I attended school in Coonana. I then moved to Yakadunya, staying with my mother, father, and family. There was no school in Yakadunya, only one lady teaching. There were two shops, one caravan and one water tank. Later on, we moved to where Tjuntjuntjara Community is now located. But before there were houses, just a camp near the bore. This was the first camp. I grew up moving around a lot. I went to school in Coonana where I learned how to paint with Louise and Peter Twigg, the two people who started Spinifex Arts.When school finished, we went to a community called Ningamia with my mother. I got married and moved to Warburton where I had one daughter and lived with my new husband. After living in Warburton, I went back home, to my Country, to Tjuntjuntjara, where I have lived eversince.