Ngurrara I

Map of living waters

[We] were wondering how to tell the court about our country. I said then, 'If kartiya [white people] can't believe our word, they can look at our painting. It all says the same thing. We got the idea of using our paintings in the court as evidence. Then we painted the first one, that little painting!

Ngurrara I 1996

Ngarralja Tommy May, about 1997

painted at Pirnini, northern Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia, by Juwaliny, Mangala, Manjilarra and Wangkajunga traditional owners National Museum of Australia

Ngurrara I was painted in 1996 in preparation for a native title claim over much of the Great Sandy Desert. It is a map of the artists' country and the Canning Stock Route, first used in the early 20th century, appears as a line with circles representing wells. Also shown are jila, the natural springs or waterholes, places important to the claimants.

The canvas proved too small for accurate depiction of all of the claimants' country, so it became a 'practice run' for a larger painting used

in the native title claim. The land was returned to the Ngurrara people in 2007 and 2012.

Pirmini

Wayampajarti

Well 48

Kaningarr

Yarntay

Kurtal jila

Japirnka jila

Pikarangu

Canning Stock Route

Canning Stock Route

Kulyayi

(Well 42)

Different sections of the painting correlate to particular A of country, each panted by their traditional owners.

Yarntayi and Pirmini Amy Nugget

Wayampajarti Ngarta Jinny Bent Jukuna Mona Chuguna

Kaningarra

Boxer Yankarr

Kurtal

Ngipirr Spider Snell

Ngaralija Tommy May

Mawurkura Jimmy Nerrimah Dorothy May

Wakartu Cory Surprise Japirnka

Pijaju Peter Skipper Kuntika Jimmy Pike

Paji Honeychild Yankarr Sundown Ellory Pikarangu Peter Clancy

Warla

Hitler Pamba

Jukuja Dolly Snell

Purita Maryanne Downs Janyka Ivy Nixon Mayarn Julia Lawford Kuji Rosie Goodje Canning Stock Route Monday Kunga

Nyuju Stumpy Brown

Nada Rawlins

Reela Angie

Kulyayi

Nyangkari Penny K-Lyons

Kurti Peter Good

Warla (Percival Lakes)

1

Done