Julie Yatjitja Australian, Pitjatjantjara, b. 1969
Julie is the second eldest of three brothers and one sister; she was born in the waters of the Iwantja creek under the shade of gum trees and nearby to some boulders. As a child she and her family lived in a wiltja along the banks of the creek at the newly established Indulkana community. “My mothers name is Betty she came from the Granite Downes area not far from Indulkana. My father is Teddy and his country is around the Mimili community area. We have lived in Indulkana my whole life, it’s my home.”Teddy Yatjitja was a stockman who worked at both Granite Downes and on the stations at Mimili and surrounding areas. He worked alongside Willy Edwards and other senior men. Teddy’s sisters, Julies aunts, are Manyitjanu Lennon – a famous painter at Fregon Community, and cousin Betty Muffler, a famous painter and Ngangkari at Indulkana. Indulkana Ngangkari Kanakyia Tjanyari is also one of her aunts.
The Indulkana community was in its formative years at this stage and Julie recalls a childhood living closely with nature, when local tjuktji’s (underground springs) would provide fresh water, and the creek was a favourite swimming spot. “I remember there were some white people around, we saw them on top of the ridge. Then some missionaries came and started living there. The Anangu stayed living at the creek, but sometimes they (missionaries) would come and visit us, and we would go to the little tin shed clinic to see the doctor. The shed is still here at Indulkana, its very small. Kanakyia Tjanyari and Betty Muffler are ngangkari’s (traditional healers,) they used to work at the little clinic.”
Julies first school was by the Indulkana creek in a tent, where Angkuna Baker used to teach. As a teenager she traveled to Coober Pedy for high school and then went to boarding school at Eagle Farm in Adelaide for her final years of schooling. “Sometimes all the kids would go together in an old bus for camping out and looking for tjala (honey ants.) My favourite things were swimming in the Indulkana creek and the dam; sometimes we’d go up to the spring in the ridge. The dam had water - salty water then, but now it’s all dried up.”When Julie returned to Indulkana after school she took a job at the community store helping to stack shelves and sell goods. She married Kilikina who would fix cars in the community and was known in community as a respected bush mechanic. Julie is the proud mother of three daughters; Irna, Shanielle, and Kenithia and also has three grandchildren Louisa and Tanisia and Shantaria.
Julie has painted at the Iwantja art centre for over ten years, working alongside her childhood friend Vicki Cullinan and extended family. Julie’s canvases often depict ngura (country) and tali (sand hills) that are special to her, she paints these images with a simplicity and confidence in her brushstrokes. Other works have more focused attention to detailed dotting and mark making, colourfully portraying tjukula’s (water holes,) kalaya (emus,) and malu (kangaroos.) Seven Sister.
As well as painting regularly, Julie also works as an Arts Worker for Iwantja; working closely on planning projects for the future and attending conferences and meetings. She feels the art centre is integral to the community and acts as a unique link of communicating knowledge of culture and identity both nationally and internationally.
“I would like Iwantja Arts to travel to exhibitions more in Australia and maybe to China, but not too far away or I would get homesick! I think the artists here can learn many things from traveling to galleries and exhibitions, and more people would understand our stories.”