Katjarra Butler Australian, Ngaanyatjarra / Pintupi, b. 1946
Ngamurru, 2022
acrylic on canvas
76.2 x 101.5 cm
22-564KA
These waterholes are of Ngamurru. Ngamurru is my home. It is not like a spring - the waterhole dries out after a while. At these waterholes, many women were staying...
These waterholes are of Ngamurru. Ngamurru is my home. It is not like a spring - the waterhole dries out after a while. At these waterholes, many women were staying here for a short while in the creation time (Dreamtime).These women were Nangala, my mothers. Another group of women, a group of Nungurrayi and Nangala were travelling to Marrpirnti/Kiwirrkura while the Nangala women were at Ngamurru. At Ngamurru the Nangala women collected, cooked and ate the bush tucker wanpurru that goes on sandhills. They then set off to the east to Papun and Ngartan.
Ngamurrunya ngaanya Kapi. Ngamurrunya ngayuku ngurra. Ngaanya wati-ngarringu Ngamurrunya Kapi pirti kutjarra. Kapi yirnta purinypa wiya. Kapituka nyinarranytja Kungka Tjurta Tjukurta, Nangala pirni ngayuku Ngunytju Ngamurrula nyinarra mapakarnu. Nyangkaya Marrapirntiku/Kiwirrkurraku Kungka Kutjupa Tjurta lipula yanangi Kungkaya Nungurrayi kamu Nangala. Ngamurrulaya Mayi talingka pakalpayinya wanpurru yurrara paara ngalkuningi. Nyaratjaya Kakarra Papunku kamu Ngartankulpi yanu.
The Tjukurrpa of Ngamarru is about light-skinned spirit people called Mingaltjurru. The Mingartjurru are symbolised by
the ghost gum trees throughout the Ngamarru area.
During the night, the Mingaltjurru are known to steal people’s belongings. Katjarra explains when people would go hunting kangaroo or collect bush tucker, the Mingaltjurru would make the kangaroo disappear, so that it appeared the spear had missed the kangaroo. The Mingaltjurru spirits also pushed the bush tucker under the grass and into the ground so that people couldn’t find it. Animals were also dragged under the ground so that they couldn’t be found.
Also at Ngamarru is where the Wintarru Tjukurrpa (Possum Dreaming) had passed through, before Tuwa, and continuing on to Pukati, and then later on towards the south Tjuntjuntjarra community area.
At Ngamarru, Katjarra and her family would stop to hunt and drink from the waterhole. They came here for Tjala (honey ants) and Tinka (goanna) in areas where there were no Mingaltjurru.
Ngamurrunya ngaanya Kapi. Ngamurrunya ngayuku ngurra. Ngaanya wati-ngarringu Ngamurrunya Kapi pirti kutjarra. Kapi yirnta purinypa wiya. Kapituka nyinarranytja Kungka Tjurta Tjukurta, Nangala pirni ngayuku Ngunytju Ngamurrula nyinarra mapakarnu. Nyangkaya Marrapirntiku/Kiwirrkurraku Kungka Kutjupa Tjurta lipula yanangi Kungkaya Nungurrayi kamu Nangala. Ngamurrulaya Mayi talingka pakalpayinya wanpurru yurrara paara ngalkuningi. Nyaratjaya Kakarra Papunku kamu Ngartankulpi yanu.
The Tjukurrpa of Ngamarru is about light-skinned spirit people called Mingaltjurru. The Mingartjurru are symbolised by
the ghost gum trees throughout the Ngamarru area.
During the night, the Mingaltjurru are known to steal people’s belongings. Katjarra explains when people would go hunting kangaroo or collect bush tucker, the Mingaltjurru would make the kangaroo disappear, so that it appeared the spear had missed the kangaroo. The Mingaltjurru spirits also pushed the bush tucker under the grass and into the ground so that people couldn’t find it. Animals were also dragged under the ground so that they couldn’t be found.
Also at Ngamarru is where the Wintarru Tjukurrpa (Possum Dreaming) had passed through, before Tuwa, and continuing on to Pukati, and then later on towards the south Tjuntjuntjarra community area.
At Ngamarru, Katjarra and her family would stop to hunt and drink from the waterhole. They came here for Tjala (honey ants) and Tinka (goanna) in areas where there were no Mingaltjurru.