Nyanjilpayi (Ngarnjapayi) Nancy Chapman is the sister of May (Mayiwalku) Chapman, Mulyatingki Marney and Marjorie Yates (dec.). She was born at Jarntinti claypan, within the Karlamilyi region. Nyanjilpayi grew up in the country surrounding the Punmu, Kunawarritji and Karlamilyi River regions. She walked extensively through this area with her family as a young girl. Following the death of her parents, the sisters continued to travel in the desert alone, though at times they would meet and travel with other family groups. In particular, Nyanjilpayi was cared for as a child by Eubena Nampitjin and Nora Nungabar. With the construction of the Canning Stock Route in 1910, Nyanjilpayi’s family increasingly came into contact with European and Martu drovers travelling along the Route. Finally, following an extreme and prolonged drought, they walked into Balfour Downs Station, where they were collected by mission staff and taken to Jigalong Mission. They were one of the last families to leave the desert. In the following years Nyanjilpayi worked at various stations in the Pilbara before finally moving to Punmu in 1982, during the Return to Country movement.

“When I was little, I used to stand up all the time, looking for the old people to come back bringing food. The old people gave me that name Ngarnjapayi (standing up). I been from lake, Jarntinti area. This one lake [has a] warlu (snake). [That snake travelled] round, round, all way round, come back here. Lake here, good water. I been born there. Desert, pujiman (desert dwelling, nomadic) time. This area grandmother, nana mili (ownership suffix). We been lose him here when I been big girl. Two sister, two mummy, one father. I been lose him in Jigalong my mummy. May Chapman, my sister, and another sister Mulyatingki. This one family been living here- ngurra (home Country, camp). We been walk around, get him minyarra (bush onion), bush tucker. Get a meat, wild pussy cat, and rabbit, and kangaroo, dingo. Plenty! They walk around quiet.I been painting, I been painting little girl, big girl. Yandy every time. I been walk around [with my] nana, grandmother, May Chapman, Mulyatingki Marney, me, Marjorie Yates”

- Nyanjilpayi (Ngarnjapayi) Nancy Chapman